Titans Phantom
by rinofmidnight
Summary: Danny Fentons family are dead, with no where left except Vlad's he soon finds himself in Jump City. But will Danny's past allow him to heal? Or will he bring doom to himself and the Teen Titans.
1. Prologue

_If this is to end..._

_"I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope." _

_Aeschylus, 525-456 BC. From Agamemnon_

Titans Phantom

Prologue

Fire. He was on fire. That was Danny Fenton's only thought as he was dragged down to the trembling earth, the building exploding all around him: blasting him back, slamming him onto the blackening concrete, tearing at his flesh, grating dust burning hot in his lungs. But he didn't feel any of this. No, awareness only came from the fire spreading out, engulfing the restaurant that once used to be the Nasty Burger. But even as flames lapped at his form, they could not touch him—or if they did, it could never compare to the icy burn in his heart. A chill greater than any explosion…the fire that had shattered Danny's soul.

For trapped in the now burning hell were his family, or, who used to be his family. Now they were nothing more than ashes darkening the sky. Danny's whole world just perished in that place: his caring Mom, his eccentric Dad, his way to smart sister Jazz, his best friend Tucker, and his Sam, all now gone. Sam was gone, and he'd watched her burn along with his family. Danny had not been able to save them. And as he lay on the too hot pavement, ash slowly covering his body, flames licking at his feet, Danny knew that they had forgiven him. They had seen him running, trying to get there and free them from the boiler that was about to explode with them on it… his family had watched him fall, and when he met their eyes he knew, they had forgiven him. Forgiven him for not making it.

His family had left him. Yet Danny knew he would survive. The fire could not claim him. While tears fell down his face as blackness set into his heart and eyes, Danny knew that in this one moment of blissful unconsciousness, creeping along the edges of sanity, he would be permitted to rest with his family one final time. For when the halfa awoke again on the white bed in room 419, he would be forced into battle once more. If only to keep the promise to the ones he loved. And with this, Danny Fenton fell into their arms, surrounded by rocks and the swirling fire that could not seem touch him, for a small green shield flickered in and out of existence, preventing the flaming burns to scorch his skin. And in this one peaceful moment, Danny could forget the reason why everyone was dead.

AN: Read & Review

Disclaimer: Nope, none of the characters are mine and belong to their respectful owners. Only the developing storyline is mine.


	2. Chapter 1:Forgetting the Final Exam

_Surely this nightmare will end..._

_"Not the power to remember, but it's very opposite, the power to forget, is a necessary condition for our existence." - Sholem Asch_

Titans Phantom

Ch.1: Forgetting the Final Exam

The dream was always the same. It happened every night, always the same time, and every night Danny was awoken drenched in sweat and uncontrollable shaking. This night was no different. Silently he stood, stretching his back as he headed to the bathroom for a shower. As the water heated Danny stepped out of his night pants, he had long since given up the use of a shirt– seeing as how he always managed to rip apart the cotton fabric– and stepped under the spray, letting its scalding heat wash away the horrors. So that Danny could begin his day. For a little over a year now this was his routine: he would wake, shower, dress, and by six be out the door heading to the park for a run.

The morning air was crisp and cool for a Californian day, much to Danny's pleasure. He always found it easier to run in colder weather, most likely due to his ghost powers but still, he didn't complain. Coming around a bend, the sun peeked higher in the sky, casting light right on Titan's Tower, illuminating it for all its worth, and if anyone other than Danny had been there, they would have stopped in awe. But for him it was only a symbol of hypocrisy. The dream steadily worked its way into his vision and Danny had to use all of his strength not to fall onto the concrete and let it take him over. He kept running. He didn't need this pain, gah! Stupid Titans! Stupid Titan's Tower! He was running along the beach now, silently cursing Vlad for requesting he live in Jump City… well not really. Danny would never admit it, especially to the fruitloop but in truth, he was grateful to the man for letting him leave, to not stay in Amity Park, or move to Wisconsin. It made keeping his promise easier. Sometimes. Most days Danny just tried to get by. He was nearing the next curve that would take him past the beach and back on Main Street when suddenly he heard a loud _boom_, followed shortly by a scream that sounded like it was coming directly above him.

"Shit!" Danny screamed, quickly doing a back flip to avoid being crushed by a giant hunk of metal that hit exactly where he had been. Granted, the impact wouldn't have killed him, but try and explain that to the guy who almost fell on you. Wait a guy? Danny did a double take before realizing that this was the teen named Cyborg from the Teen Titans. _'Oh my day keeps getting better and better,' _Danny thought vehemently, watching Cyborg grumble as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Oh, man what hit me?"

"Concrete, and sand." Danny added as an afterthought.

The answer caused Cyborg to jump, literally, for he hadn't known there was a person standing not two feet from him. Least of all a teen wearing a long-sleeve black shirt, and dark blue jeans that covered his black combat boots, giving him an overall gothic appearance, yet none of this caught Cyborg's attention. No, what caught him were the teen's eyes. They were a pale crystalline ice blue. The kind that made every being, no matter what age, gender, friend or foe, stop and stare into their depths. Cyborg didn't know how long he'd been staring but he mentally shook himself awake when he noticed the teen bend down and proceed to wave his hand in front of his face.

"Quit it." Cyborg snapped annoyed, and a little bit flustered.

"Oh, good you speak. I was afraid you'd gotten brain damage from just sitting on the ground." Danny said sarcastically.

_'Okay, now that's just cold.'_ Cyborg thought. But something else dawned on him. Why was this kid out here in the first place?

"Hey what are you doing out here anyway? Besides insulting my brain," he asked.

"Running; and if you don't mind, I'd like to continue."

With that, Cyborg watched as the strange kid with ice for eyes continued his run. Slowly, Cy stood, brushing off the sand that still clung to his form but none of that mattered. No, what mattered was that kid who had looked at him not with awe, or concern, just disdain, and fear? Cyborg wasn't sure what that look was about, maybe he'd just startled the kid? But that probably wasn't the case_. 'Ugh, today wasn't good to be a good day.'_ Cyborg thought turning back to the Tower, he made a mental note to never try and teach Starfire wrestling again.

* * *

><p>Danny made sure not to stop, to not look back, to only run. He'd actually met one of those so called heroes and what was worse, he'd actual stuck around to make sure that idiot was okay! <em>'Stupid hero complex, why can't you just leave me alone,'<em> Danny screamed, deciding to mentally picture his hero complex as a chibi, proceeding to then pulverize it with a sledge hammer. No, today wasn't going to be a good day. Sighing, Danny stopped in front of his store pondering the pros and cons of keeping it closed for the day, to wander aimlessly around town instead. But Danny thought better of it. For his family's faces were dancing behind his eyelids, and if he wandered, he would only end up home staring at their picture by his mirror. And that was something Danny wished to avoid, so he unlocked his store, which also was his house, but only he knew that, and switched the closed sign to open, waiting for the day to begin.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at Titan's Tower, Cyborg was having similar feelings. First, he'd gotten his butt kicked by Starfire at wrestling, and now Beastboy just had to go and lose the remote… and his toothpaste, and his football, and the waffle iron, things were not looking well.<p>

"Things disappear, how am I supposed to know where they go?" Beastboy said indignantly.

"How am I supposed to watch TV without a _remote?!"_ Cyborg screamed. Sometimes he really wanted to strangle the little grass stain.

With this, a pale girl in dark blue clothes stood, snapping here book shut in annoyance, sometimes she'd wish these two would stop acting so childish.

"Simple, you get up and change the channel." Raven deadpanned, her voice revealing nothing to her emotions.

Quickly an argument pursued, Beastboy defending what was left of his pride, Raven arguing that the argument was pointless, Cyborg just wanting his remote. Robin, who had entered with Starfire, was currently trying to defuse the situation while Starfire went to go bring the _'unhealthy foods to mend this problem'._ Unfortunately, the fridge was currently growing some blue fuzzy mold that liked to scream at people, prompting Starfire to blast it with her star-bolts getting the wonderful substance all over herself, along the entire kitchen, and the rest of the Titans.

As the team all looked at the stuff dripping down from the ceiling in disgust, Robin in the middle of the group, offered a simple compromise, while trying not to vomit at the horrendous blue sight.

"Maybe, we should just go out for pizza," he said when a particularly large piece of blue goop dripped down from the ceiling and onto his arm. Everyone agreed.

* * *

><p>It was nearing twelve and Danny was starting to get hungry. Looking at the clock he decided to wait a few extra minutes for all of his customers to finish what they were doing. They all knew he closed up shop from twelve to one to allow people, and him, lunch.<p>

"Okay, I'm closing up in five, so if you want to buy something I suggest you do so now." Danny said. Four or five customers came up to ask if the books they wanted were for sale, while the rest of the customers simply filed out, one girl even switched his sign to 'closed' for him, which he was grateful for. Books paid for, store locked up, Danny headed out to lunch. Walking down the street, Danny decided that he was in a pizza mood today, after all, he did run into a freakin' Titan. Or more like Cyborg just had to, 'drop in' on him. Danny chuckled at his bad joke, it'd been a long time since he'd made one, if only to make fun of the hero. The day steadily started looking brighter, but as fate would have it, that didn't last long. For once he walked past the clear white doors leading to the outside awning, there, sitting at the far table, was none other than the 'heroes' themselves. Danny abruptly did a one-eighty, prepared to head right back out the doors when over all other conversations, he heard Cyborg yell,

"Hey you, ice guy!"

Everyone froze, Danny praying that Cyborg wasn't talking to him, the Titans all trying to figure out who the heck Cyborg was yelling at. "Uh, Cyborg, who are you talking to?" Robin asked.

"Him, the guy with messy black hair," he replied.

At this point, Danny knew there was no possible way to escape except nod and say hello, and then proceed as quickly as possible out the door, or if need be, jump off the roof. It was only a two story drop, perfectly manageable in human form. Because now the rest of the Titans had a pretty good idea of which teen 'ice guy' was. Danny turned around and made his way over to the Teen Titans, looking as if life itself hated him.

"Yes," Danny asked careful not to sound rude.

"Um, I just wanted to say thanks man for making sure I was okay. Star really let me have it." Cyborg said a little flustered.

"I wasn't making sure you were alright, I was making sure you didn't try and nearly fall on me, again," and with this Danny finally met Cyborg's eyes and everyone quickly realized why Cy had called him ice guy. At Danny's statement, Cyborg quickly turned red.

"Oh, well thanks anyway."

Danny couldn't help but sigh, he'd been rude. Granted, Cyborg deserved it, after all he and friends were sitting here playing 'hero' but he didn't need Danny's frustrations taken out on him. Reigning in his emotions, he tried again.

"Anyways, is there any other reason why you called me over?" Danny asked, and with this Starfire jumped at the opportunity.

"Yes, what is your name? Do you live here? What is your favorite color? And would you like to be my friend?" She asked somehow turning four questions into one.

Danny found himself sighing yet again. He didn't have time for this; he didn't have time for them. He glared at Starfire who looked as if she'd been frozen to the spot.

"Danny, yes, don't have one, and not really."

His voice was clipped and with each answer Starfire seemed to shrink back, as if his very words where stabbing her. Silence descended upon the table, Starfire now refusing to meet the strange boy's eyes once more, for in them she had seen such vivid pain.

"Dude, you didn't have to be so heartless." Beastboy growled.

This was the wrong thing to say, for Danny turned his gaze now on Beastboy, who animalistically shrunk back in his chair from the look of fire in Danny's gaze.

_"I am not heartless."_ And with this, Danny turned and left the pizza place, his appetite long forgotten, leaving behind five stunned teens. Half-heartedly Cyborg and Beastboy began bickering over a meat or veggie pizza but everyone could tell they weren't into it. Their thoughts were all on Danny. Unbeknownst to them someone was locking onto their signatures; they were alone now, the mission could be initiated.

"This is Gizmo to Jinx, begin phase one."

With this, a pale Goth girl dressed in a black witch dress, with stripped purple and black stockings, with bubble gum pink hair tied into two ponytails the same color as her catlike eyes, released pink magic from her hands. Causing the parked bus to move forward down the incline, towards a small stroller in the middle of the cross walk. Quickly, the Titans leapt into action, Starfire flying down, moving the stroller out of the way as Cyborg stood in front of the bus, it hit him dead on, his force bringing it to a stop as Raven put it back into park.

"Um, don't buses usually have drivers?" Cyborg asked confused.

"And don't baby carriages usually have babies?" Robin asked who was standing over the carriage with Star and BB. And the Teen Titans fell into a trap.

* * *

><p>Danny hadn't even made it three blocks when he saw the bubble gum girl move the bus, down the street towards a baby carriage. At this, Danny's first instinct was to save the child, he tensed, his muscles ready to move, when he froze. Why was there a baby carriage in the middle of the street with no mother? Unless— the Titans quickly arrived and saved the baby along with the halting the bus, it was then Danny watched as Robin and the others were blasted back by a green teddy bear— it was a trap. Two minutes. Give or take, that was all it took to defeat the Titans. Danny watched as Cyborg had a rocket strapped to his back and zoom off into the air, Starfire chasing after him. Danny made a mental note to watch where he landed, and make sure it wasn't on him. He watched as Raven was beaten by bubble gum and pipsqueak, Beastboy getting thrown around like a football by Mammoth, until only Robin was left standing.<p>

Danny had to give the kid credit, he wasn't going to go down without a fight, but it still wouldn't be enough. And Danny was right, he watched as Robin was attacked by Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth, all working as a team to destroy the very ground beneath the leaders feet.

Fear overwhelmed Danny; he ran forward, not even checking to see if anyone was looking at him. He felt his power surge forth, drawing up two blue rings around his body, both travelling in opposite directions until who remained was a teen with snow white hair and glowing green eyes, a white symbol carved on his uniform. His transformation lasted only seconds but to him it felt like an eternity, because Danny couldn't let Robin die. Not like his family, not like Sam. Danny went intangible and flew down into the sewers searching for the Titans' leader.

* * *

><p>Raven and Beastboy looked on in horror as Robin disappeared into the gaping hole in the ground. "Robin!" Beastboy yelled, quickly trying to make his way down into the watery depths. Raven cut him short, pulling him back from one of Gizmo's attacks. She continued to pull him back. "What are you doing, Raven? We have to save Robin! Let me go!" Beastboy yelled struggling in her grip as she and Beastboy dodged another wave.<p>

"We can't. We need to leave; remaining here will only result in our deaths." She said. But Raven's voice was straining to remain calm as her desire to search for her friend took hold of her heart.

"We can't leave Robin!" Beastboy yelled again. This time the two Titans weren't so lucky as Mammoth threw heavy street pavement at them, narrowly missing Raven, it clipped Beastboy in the leg. He howled in pain as he and Raven ducked behind a forgotten car.

"I know. But Beastboy, I can't sense Robin's presence here anymore. I-I can't sense it anywhere." This simple statement caused Beastboy's blood to run cold. Raven couldn't sense Robin, she stammered, she was afraid, Raven was never…

"Okay, let's head back to the Tower." Beastboys voice came out hollow; finalizing what Raven had just spoken. Silently, she nodded and turning into a black bird, encompassed Beastboy and dove into the earth racing home, away from the three who had just taken away their leader, and friend.

* * *

><p>Danny hadn't been searching long. He found Robin half buried under a pile of rocks, the murky water surging all around. He was unconscious; acting quickly Danny phased Robin out from under the rocks and laid him down in one of the smaller adjacent tunnels. The Titans leader looked a little worse for wear, his uniform was torn around the corners of his mask, his belt was gone, and a chunk of his cape was missing, he also looked more or less like the color of mud. But still alive, Danny took care of the sewer water first, turning both of them intangible to wash the offending substance away and to prevent Robin from getting sick from it. Next was the head injury, which didn't look as bad now, he'd have a bruise but had no concussion and the rest of his body would be sore from the fact that he'd been buried under street rocks. But Robin was alive and that was all that mattered to Danny, he hadn't failed to save him, Robin hadn't died. Relief flooded through the halfa's system at this thought and he began contemplating leaving, when he heard three pairs of footsteps drop into the sewers, and they definitely didn't belong to any of the other Teen Titans. Danny managed to turn both him and Robin invisible right when Jinx rounded the corner.<p>

"I don't see Robin anywhere, nor do I sense his presence." She stated.

_'Huh'_ Danny thought. _'When I make myself invisible, I mask my presence as well, neat.'_

Danny watched as the three teens continued to patrol the area.

"C'mon, let's get out of this crum-sniffen place, it makes my nose want to fall off my face." Gizmo said his beady eyes watering at the offending smells, causing Mammoth to laugh.

"Yeah, let's go pay a visit to their precious Tower and take it," Mammoth added.

Both teens began to walk away, Jinx turning to follow when something shimmered in the light.

"Wait!" She screamed.

Danny froze, had she sensed him and Robin? Tensing for battle, Danny watched as Jinx began to make her way to where both he and Robin were hiding but stopped just short. Bending down, retrieving something trapped between the rocks, shaking it off, Danny saw what it was: Robin's belt.

"Okay, we can go, now that I have his fashion statement." Jinx said as she attached it around her waist.

"That's why you wanted us to come down here? To get that pip sniffer's belt!" Gizmo screamed as Jinx nodded, completely oblivious to Gizmo's attitude. Danny watched as the three teens jumped out of the sewers and left. He waited a few extra minutes to make sure they weren't coming back before dropping his and Robin's invisibility.

"Phew" Danny breathed. Leaning back onto the tunnels wall, he hadn't been sure his powers would have masked their presence with that sorceress around. Smiling, Danny turned to fly off but not before Robin had started to come to, and what Robin witnessed startled him. There, kneeling in front of him was a person who seemed to be glowing white, with shimmering white hair that contrasted deeply with his black and white jumpsuit, but what startled Robin the most was the emblem on the teen's suit. For their blazing white, was a ghostly letter D with a smaller P inside. But Robin didn't have time to ponder this for the teen stood up suddenly and the next words he said quickly grabbed Robin's attention.

"Now to go 'cause some chaos at Titan's Tower to give those three Hive agents some ghostly payback," and with that the black and white being turned clear and flew through the roof. Slowly, Robin sat up, mindful of his bruises. Had that guy just saved him? Who was he? What did he mean the Hive was at the Tower? Unless, their plan was to overrun it and keep it for themselves, fury filled Robin at this thought. Titan's Tower was their home. He needed to get to his team, fast.

* * *

><p>They'd been kicked out of their home, Robin was gone, and it was over. This couldn't have happened, but it had. And now Beastboy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg stood on the beach looking at the island that housed their home, or what used to be their home.<p>

_'Knew today wasn't going to be a good day,'_ Cyborg thought bitterly, as the events kept replaying over in his mind.

"I wish Robin were here." Starfire whispered, her arms clutching desperately around her chest trying to hold back the ice that was setting into her heart, it reminded her of Danny's eyes.

"Well he's not. Don't you guys get it? They won, we lost, it's _over!" _Cyborg screamed, pain echoing in his voice as he and the others watched from the distance, their home steadily turning into a new letter.

"Then, the Teen Titans are finished?" Beastboy asked his question coming out a fearful statement.

"Not yet. Not if I can help it." A voice said. All four Titans jumped, whipping around to see Robin standing behind them, a smirk plastered on his face, the one that showed he had a plan and knew it would work.

* * *

><p>It was getting late. Danny had quickly returned to his store, apologizing to the group of teens who had gathered outside it, thankfully they were willing to let him keep it closed for the rest of the day. One of the benefits of having a community based bookstore, people were a lot more understanding. After which, Danny went ghost in the alley way and headed back to Titan's Tower, currently looking like a giant H. Silently he waited, floating in the living room as the Hive agents rummaged through the Titans things. Danny had to clamp his mouth shut at the sight of Mammoth eating the blue furry food, and Danny had seen plenty of gross things: flying meat, man eating hotdogs, but that was just disgusting. He waited 'til all of the agents were in the room and proceeded to have some sweet payback, after all, it was these nitwits who thought it fun to play 'villains' and force him into action.<p>

First thing on his list of payback, Gizmo, who currently was flinging the Titans CD's all over the floor, _'well at least it gives me a chance to test my new power'_ Danny thought. And with this he raised his hand, careful to make sure he stayed invisible and proceeded to shoot the CD's right into Gizmo's dorky little face. "Hey!" Gizmo screamed as he tried to dodge the flying disks. As Danny continued to do this, he looked over at Mammoth and Jinx, who were staring wide eyed at Gizmo's predicament. So he decided to give them some grief as well by opening and closing the cabinet doors, flinging the questionable blue goo all over them, not so tasty when you're being covered in it. Both teens screamed like girls and jumped out of the way. So intent were the Hive three to survive the chaos of flying CD's and mold, that they didn't see Cyborg's arm dismantle itself from the wall and proceed to make its way over to the computer. But Danny did, and he made sure to distract them enough so that they wouldn't notice it typing away on the computer, until it set off the blaring red alarm causing Gizmo to back up next to the chair where it was seated.

"What the hairballs?" Was all he could get out, for at that moment the chair with Cyborg's arm turned and proceeded to wrap itself around Gizmo, who screamed like a baby. And with this, Danny was done. He watched Jinx get pulled through the ceiling by a giant claw, and Mammoth get blasted into the elevator by a star-bolt. The Titans could handle themselves, even if they were just playing the 'heroes', Danny knew they'd learn someday exactly what that title meant, for they'd almost learned what it meant today. And as Danny flew back into his store, down into the basement that held a newly built lab and also his room, the halfa hoped that maybe those five would never have to learn. But he knew it was foolish, after all, that little half pint had mentioned a man named Slade and Danny could tell that man would most likely be their greatest enemy. With this, Danny changed out of his clothes and into his long, red, checkered cotton pants, climbed into bed and stared across the room in the dark, to the mirror where he knew his family was. And at that, Danny fell into sleep, fresh pain ripping through his heart, the dream coming again. But this time he seemed to forget to be as afraid, even though he knew how it would inevitably end.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	3. Chapter 2:The Dreams of Sisters

_Maybe if I only sleep..._

_If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person? - Chuck Palahniuk_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 2: The Dream of Sisters

It had been a long day. After the fight with the Hive, Robin had decided not to tell the rest of the group about the white haired teen that had saved him until this morning. From it he'd gotten some odd looks, not because they didn't believe him. But because Raven hadn't sensed his presence or Robin's at all.

"It was as if you disappeared, almost like you were dead," She stated.

"Almost?" Robin asked as the rest of the Titans continued to give her questioning looks.

"Yes, almost. When a person dies they leave behind a small aura for a time, then once they move on it slowly clears. How fast or slow all depends on the person. And Robin, I believe you'd have the type of aura that would stubbornly hold onto life." As she finished Robin was steadily turning a bright shade of red.

"Thanks." He mumbled, Raven merely nodded.

"Hey, you said that he was planning on giving those Hive kids some payback, right?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah."

With this the group walked over to one of the computers and watched as Cyborg dug through the tower mainframe. Until he managed to reboot the security feed.

"Let's see, they attacked around seven, we attacked around nine, so it's somewhere around there..." Cyborg said mumbling to himself as he fast forwarded through the feed,

"Wait, go back!" Beastboy yelled

"Dude, nothing's happening." Cy replied.

"Yes, there is."

And with this, Cyborg paused the video right as a CD appeared to be attacking Gizmo's face. "Told you," Beastboy smugly answered.

"What in the mother of…"

"Play the video, Cyborg." Robin said not letting him finish the sentence. Cyborg hit play and the five teens watched as Gizmo was pelted by flying disks and Mammoth and Jinx were trying to avoid the blue fuzzy food from the cabinets. All the while never noticing Cyborg's arm as it made its way over to a computer. Almost as if the flying objects were purposely drawing their attention away. When Cyborg's arm finally set off the alarm, all the other objects clattered onto the floor, never appearing to have just flown around the room. Cyborg ended the recording. Everyone sat in silence.

"So, the guy who helped you can make stuff float?" Beastboy tried to ask.

"Guess so, look at the objects, around each one is a faint green aura," Cyborg said zooming in on one of the CD's

"Then the white haired one has telekinesis, much like friend Raven?" Starfire asked.

"It has to be more than just that." Robin said annoyance present in his voice.

"It is, look, about thirty minutes before the uh, object attack, the temperature in this room dropped about ten degrees, the same time the computer detected a power surge, though from what it can't identify." Cy said.

"So, not only is this guy telekinetic, he's also invisible to your sensors and Raven's mind and on top of that he's powerful." Robin finished letting the information sink in. Finally after a while Cyborg turned back to the screen.

"At least he's on our side." He commented. At that Robin turned, heading out of the room. He needed to think, if the teen truly was on their side, then why not come and tell them so? Or at least tell them who he is. As he was walking down the corridor to his lab, Raven joined him.

"Yeah, Rae?" He asked.

"There is something else, that kid Danny, back at the restaurant, I couldn't sense his emotions."

Confusion spread across Robin's face. "What does he not have any?"

"No, he does, it's almost as if there was a wall in place. Similar to that of a mental barrier, if I had tried to sense what he was feeling, he undoubtedly would have felt my presence."

At this Robin had to contain his willingness to go and find this Danny and interrogate him. After all, what kind of coincidence would Raven meet not one, but two people who seemed capable of hiding who they were from her power? And was this Slade guy involved? What were the connections? And what would this spell for them and Jump City? Robin had to collect himself once more, before he trusted his voice not to come out sounding angry and frustrated at the new developing problems.

"Thanks, Raven," he said, she nodded, heading off into another part of the Tower, most likely going to meditate to try and figure out what was going on as well. Needless to say, Robin wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, and with this the day started.

* * *

><p>It had been a peaceful day in Danny's book store, well mostly. The coffee machine had decided to stop working and a few of his regulars pitched small fits until Danny managed to recalibrate the copper coils. Another small annoyance was the fact that his store was starting to attract more nerds (not that he had a problem with the techno geeks of today) his best friend had been one. But they were currently pestering Danny to buy an entire set of comic books called 'Mega Monkey's' apparently adopted from some video game, and they had gone around the store asking other customers if they would sign a contract so that Danny would have to buy them. Not that he really had to, but he'd made a promise when he'd opened the store that if anyone wanted a certain book or series in his store, that if they could get ten legitimate signatures he would buy them. Of course he'd already caught a few forgeries and had all but kicked out the porn nuts who wanted him to get the XXX magazines.<p>

But still, those nine nerds managed to tick off some of his more…darker clients and at that point Danny had asked them to leave while restraining the gothic couple who were proceeding to rip the guys' new ones. All in all, a peaceful day. But Danny couldn't help the pressure in the back of his head which was worrying over the Titans. And who was this Slade guy? What did he want with them? As Danny sat behind the dark oak counter, he couldn't help but be reminded of Vlad when he acted more or less like a fruitloop. Danny shivered at that, picturing the tall gray haired man with insanity for eyes. Although now Danny was sure he could kick Vlad's half-ghost butt all the way to space, he still couldn't help but the shiver of fear at remembering what Vlad had put him and his family through. Danny quickly drew in his breath as sharp pain flared through his heart, some of his old scars aching like open wounds.

His right arm gave a painful throb at the remembrance of Jazz; she'd really taken it out on him that day. Even if it was only a ploy for them to be able to get away from Vlad, it still hurt. _'So much for peaceful'_, Danny thought gripping his arm, staring up at the clock. The fireworks would start at six tonight so he should close up shop at five which was a little more than an hour away. Careful not to jostle his arm, Danny stood to make the announcement. Only an hour till the fireworks, then he could leave.

Back at Titan's Tower, the results on identifying Robin's mysterious savior wasn't going so well. Neither was trying to identify the kid named Danny, who Raven couldn't seem to feel his emotions. All in all, a very frustrating day. But now, sitting up on the Ferris wheel with Starfire, celebrating the Fourth of July by watching the colored fire dance across the night sky, Robin couldn't help but smile. His worries and dread melting away like the cotton candy on his tongue, while Starfire gave a squeak at its sudden disappearance in her mouth.

"It vanished!" She exclaimed, Robin couldn't help chuckling at the look on her innocent face.

"Yeah, it'll do that." He said, sending up a quiet thank you in his head to whatever higher power decided to create Star, and allowed them to meet. Everything was perfect as the finale came around, until a giant mechanical squid descended from the skies, grabbed hold of Starfire and ripped her away.

_"Starfire!"_ Robin screamed.

* * *

><p>"<em>Danny, come on we're going to miss them!" Jazz yelled excitement in her voice.<em>

"_Okay, I'm coming, keep your pants on__.__" Danny replied irritated._

_At this Jazz gave a 'humph' of annoyance__.__W__hich was strange coming from the Harvard bound sixteen year old girl. It was the Fourth of July, and the fireworks were about to start in the small town of Amity Park, North Dakota. They had been going to see the fireworks together since Danny was four. It had always been a sister- brother thing, no one else, not even Tucker or Sam went with them. But this year was different. Jazz had admitted to knowing Danny's secret for about a year and in a way, the halfa was grateful for her knowing, because now he didn't have to lie to his big sister anymore._

_"__Come on, we're never going to get to the hill if you keep taking so long." Jazz said her foot now tapping on the wooden floor._

"_Jazz, I fly over a hundred and twenty miles per hour; I think we'll make it." And with this Danny transformed into Danny Phantom, hero of Amity Park (debatable by some), but by most, this was only how they knew him; but not to Jazz, all she saw was her little brother through and through. Quickly, Danny picked her up and flew out of their house__. __Jazz giving a scream as she looked down to see the town flashing past her eyes, the warm wind whipping at her red__-__orange hair._

"_Danny, why do we have to fly there?" She asked nervous._

_Danny gave her a mischievous smile, "You wanted to get there on time__, __remember__?__I__t's also a little bit of payback for spying on me and figuring out I'm__ a halfa__." He said._

"_It wasn't that hard, I mean, I just watched you transform in the back alley of the Nasty Burger__. P__lus it's a dead giveaway when you yell, 'I'm goin' ghost'!" Jazz replied in complete honestly._

"_Do you want me to drop you? Because I will leave you here to fall to your doom," Danny snapped, lightly glaring at her__. B__ut not quite pulling it off with the look of embarrassment on his face._

"_No please__,__" She squeaked._

_With this__,__ Danny landed atop a hill on the outskirts of Amity. Standing next to his sister__,__ who pulled out a blanket from her bag, laid it down on the grassy ground, and silently the two sat as they watched the first fireworks burst through the night sky._

That day had been a year ago, he and Jazz had stayed on that hill till almost two in the morning, watching the stars after the fireworks had ended, just like these were about to do. Danny found it hard to believe that only one month later his sister was gone. Now here Danny sat, on a hill in the park of Jump City, by himself, watching as fireworks blossomed in the night sky. Leaning back onto the tree he'd found refuge under, Danny could almost go back, become who he used to be, back with his sister, with… Danny quickly jumped out of his memories as a brilliant streak of purple, strangely in the form of a girl, came spiraling towards him. Again, Danny found himself dodging yet another super powered teen. _'Jeez, what is with people and trying to flatten me?' _He thought annoyed as said girl plowed into the tree, half of her body on one side, her feet sticking out from the other.

"Man, what hit me?" the girl groaned, her jet black hair glimmering purple in the moonlight.

"A tree, and you hit it," Danny clarified. Man, why did these kinds of people always ask these questions?

At this, Blackfire looked up from her current position to see a boy with raven hair and ice blue eyes looking down on her.

"Right, sorry about that. Think you could help me out?" She asked putting on her very best damsel in distress face, _'this kid's cute'_ she thought.

"No."

"Why not? I'm stuck in a tree." Her eyes turned electric-purple out of anger, and yet the strange raven haired boy never flinched.

"You got yourself in that tree, you can get yourself out." Danny finished, irritation now filling his voice, for some reason he didn't like this girl. In fact, she looked exactly like Starfire except she was somehow _wrong_, her vibe was wrong. And Danny didn't like her for it.

"Fine, if you won't help me then this tree is going down."

With that Blackfire used her violet starbolts to rip apart the tree. Only causing it to fall on top of her, covering the Tamaranian in dirt and leaves.

"Ugh, son of a bitch!" She yelled. Yep, Danny was right, she was crazy, and a little on the violent side. Turning, he proceeded to leave when Blackfire flew in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Mentally reminding himself not to punch her in the face, Danny glared up at her, while she was looking at him with a face of 'I'm-so-superior-to-you' gaze.

"What?"

"Whoa, cool it nature lover. I just want to know where Titan's Tower is, that's all." She asked holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"It's a giant glowing 'T' in the middle of the bay, kind of hard to miss." He deadpaned and with this she flew off only to turn back midair and yell, "Oh, and remind me to take you to a rave sometime, you seriously need to loosen up!" With that she disappeared into the night, the fireworks ending long ago. Yep, defiantly crazy, he thought.

* * *

><p>Starfire was being chased by a squid. Her starbolts having no effect on it, and the thing only seemed to be after her. Panic was beginning to set in her heart as it continued to chase her across the ocean, back to where her friends stood on the docks preparing to help. She flew past them along with the squid and she quickly did a U-turn around the Ferris wheel, to end up back with her friends, her bright green eyes hiding her pupils as she watched Beastboy and Raven try and fail to even slow it down, Cyborg quickly grabbing onto its pink mechanical legs as it was trying to reach Starfire.<p>

"Don't know what you did to make this thing mad Star, but it couldn't hurt to apologize!" He grunted, struggling to maintain his hold on it while the squid slowly dragged him forward to Starfire who was standing behind Robin. Her now normal green eyes looking at the thing with fear and confusion.

"Um, I am sorry?" Her voice rising in octaves as the thing managed to break free and charge at her again. Robin, acting quickly hit the machine on the head with his bo staff, knocking it into the ocean.

Beastboy ran over to the railing, looking down over the murky water, fireworks crashing in the background, "so did we just win?" he asked. His question was answered when the robotic squid burst through the wood, narrowly missing Starfire. It started a midflight turn, bent on reaching her, but was stopped short as Robin leapt up on it and ripped out its central processing cords. Robin landed back on the docks with the others as they watched the pink squid fly higher in the sky until it joined the fireworks, creating a small explosion of sound and fire, a perfect ending to the finale.

"Whatever that thing was, it can't hurt you now," Robin said looking into Star's concerned gaze.

"But why did it wish to hurt me at all?" She asked none of them knew the answer to that.

Arriving at Titan's Tower, Blackfire sat, leaning back on the couch; she'd managed to locate a bathroom once she'd gotten past the security system and cleaned herself off. After all, she wanted to look her finest when her little sister came home. And she couldn't help the smirk that curled on her face when Starfire came walking through the front doors, thanking her friends for saving her life while planning on reciting the poem of gratitude… all six thousand versus. Yep, still the same Starfire.

"I see you haven't changed a bit." Blackfire observed her voice one of self-confidence, bordering on conceit.

"When we were little,_ I_ was always the one rescuing Starfire." She added.

Starfire gave a squeal of delight, running into her sister's embrace as Blackfire laughed at her antics.

"Sister!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Brought you a present," Blackfire said holding up a fiery green gem. The stone the size of a baby's fist, cut in the shape of a beautiful hexagon. Starfire's eyes widened like a kid on Christmas morning.

"A Centaury moon diamond! Where did you get it?" Her green orbs still locked on the glittering jewel.

"On the Centaury moons of course," with this she placed it around Star's neck commenting on how it matched her forest green eyes.

"You must meet my friends!" Starfire exclaimed.

Pulling Blackfire over to the rest of the Titans who were silently thanking the gods that Star no longer seemed interested in reciting her poem.

"I wish to introduce my big sister…"

"Blackfire," the elder sister cut in, walking forward, her catlike eyes glistening as she guessed who each one of Starfire friends were. She started with Cyborg, her hand shake giving the half mechanical man's arm a run for his money, she then moved onto Raven, who was highly impressed at Blackfire's knowledge of meditation, she then went to Beastboy, who cracked a lame joke about the ceiling but Blackfire laughed none the less. Lastly, she stopped at Robin who reminded her of the boy in the park only shorter, but Blackfire took to him, immediately noting his cape and mask causing Starfire to intervene before her sister tried something.

"So sister, what brings you to Earth?" She asked making sure to get Robin at least five feet away from Blackfire.

"I was in the quadrant. Thought I'd see if Earthlings liked to party." With this she plopped back down on the half circular couch.

"Besides, I needed a rest, nearly got sucked into a black hole on the way here," making it sound like she let that last part slip. With this, all of the Titans were surrounding her, curiosity in their voices as she began recounting the story. All of the Titans except Starfire, who left to get her sister a soda. As she grabbed it, Starfire couldn't help the sense of dread that was washing over her, it was happening again.

"I see you haven't changed either," She whispered and with this Starfire headed back to the living room where Blackfire and her friends were.

* * *

><p><em>It was late as two teens left the movie theater, one a skinny boy with dark brown skin and hazel blue eyes, sporting a pale yellow shirt with green cargo pants and a red beret, the other was a girl with crystal white skin and jet black hair darker than her mid-cut shirt and black and green mini stripped skirt, but what most people failed to notice were her eyes, her amethyst eyes. As the two walked out of the theater they stopped on the side walk, both to stretch and yawn.<em>

"_I can't believe we sat through all three cyber zombie commando movies." The girl said._

"_I could have used less zombie, and a little more cyber. But that's me, I'm all about the cyber," the boy replied placing his hands behind his head. Suddenly, the girl stopped and looked around; making sure the street was empty before,_

"_Coast is clear, Danny." She __called__, as light footsteps made their way over to where the two teens were standing._

"_Sweet," came a voice out of nowhere until Danny appeared next to them dressed in a plain baggy white shirt with a red oval on it, with light blue jeans and red tipped sneakers._

"_No sign of Jazz?" He asked._

"_No sign of Jazz," Sam said as she smiled at him._

"_Good. Ever since Jazz saw me fight the Box Ghost in human form a week ago she's been kind of…"_

_Danny never finished his sentence for suddenly there was a car screeching to a stop in front of the theater and out hopped his sister, who slammed him into the ticket booth on accident out of worry._

"_Pushy." He finished wheezing slightly._

"_Danny, are you o.k.? You know you should never leave the house without a Fenton Thermos. What if there's a ghost you needed to fight?"She said failing horribly at being sneaky while saying that._

"_There's no ghost around, if there was, I'd know." Danny replied annoyed._

_At that Danny's ghost sense went off, the blue mist escaping his mouth that Jazz failed to 'see' for she immediately turned away, searching for the ghost and seeing him high in the sky screamed,_

"_Oh no, a ghost, time for me to run home! Be careful, Danny." Danny watched as she drove away confusion on his face. 'Did his sister know that he was part ghost?' he thought, after all, Skulker was high up in the sky._

"_Uh, Danny, you might want to get going," Tucker said as he pointed to the sky where Skulker was._

"_Especially since he isn't even trying to attack or hunt you," Sam added._

"_What? He's ignoring me? Well that's a first, see you guys later," with that Danny transformed into Phantom as his friends watched him soar after Skulker, Danny mentally pushing all thoughts of Jazz and her strange behavior out of his mind._

Danny was sitting on the roof of his store, memories of his sister filling his head. It had been a long time since he thought about her. Maybe it was seeing the strange girl in the park that he somehow knew was related to Starfire. No, Danny knew why, today was the Fourth of July, their holiday, aside from the nation of course. That's what had brought on these flashes of his old life, and as Danny gazed up to the stars, he wished that tonight instead of having the dream again, maybe he would dream of his sister instead. But he knew better than to ask the impossible.

With that he stood and headed back inside, never noticing the ship hiding in Earth's orbit. Where inside, two aliens in red armor were deciding the fate of the Tamaranian girl, "We will attack tomorrow night; she may be able to handle one probe but let's see how well she'll fare against three." And with this they began to wait.

* * *

><p>It was the morning after the holiday and Starfire was wandering the hallways, for when she had awoken Blackfire was gone.<p>

"Sister?" Starfire called."Sister, I seek your companionship." Star tried again, getting no response she headed into the living room where Cyborg and Beastboy were playing a racing game. Cyborg gloating, smile spread across his face, Beastboy's one of angry determination.

"You wanna pass me, but you can't pass me. You can't pass…you passed me?!" Cy's voice gave away to shock.

"Tighten the turn, jets, and nitro! Ha!" Beastboy said quickly going back into fierce determination mode, a smile on his face, Cyborg an angry scowl.

"Tell me, have either of you seen Blackfire?" Star asked.

"Blazin' B? She was here just a second ago." Beastboy said.

But he was quickly cut off as Cyborg knocked his aircraft out of the lead.

"Ah, Yeah, back in the lead! Ha!" Cyborg said laughing.

Watching the game unfold, Starfire suddenly found herself wishing to play.

"What fun, may I join your game?" She asked.

"Winner plays Blackfire," Cyborg offhandedly replied, not noticing the grimace that adorned Star's face at this simple comment.

"Yeah, she rules at this game," Beastboy added with two little hearts dancing in his eyes.

"I see," she said sadly and with this Starfire left.

She soon found herself outside Raven's room, who answered the door only by a crack, her hood casting long shadows across her face, the rest of her body hidden in darkness.

"Is my sister in there?" Star asked her posture slightly slumped forward at Cy and BB's early words.

"No," Raven said, beginning to shut the door.

"Oh. Might you wish to hang out with me? We could visit your favorite depressing café."

"Already been," Raven said choosing to ignore Starfire's crestfallen face.

"It was open mike and Blackfire wanted to share. Your sister's poetry is surprisingly dark."

At that Raven closed the door. Leaving Starfire to wander the rest of the corridors alone, even Raven had warmed up to her sister. Well, warmed up wasn't the right word to use in Raven's case… but still, Starfire couldn't help the lead weight that was starting to weigh down her joyous heart. And what she saw next only increased its heaviness.

"That's perfect Robin," floated Blackfire's sensuous voice from the indoor training area.

"Hold me just like that and…hi-yay!" She screamed as she threw Robin across the room landing in a pile of weights.

"Learned that move from a Benzo Master on Tirus Three," Blackfire said, smugness radiating from her very being.

"Hello Robin, and my sister, am I interrupting?" Starfire asked while walking through the doors, hands carefully hidden behind her back.

"Not at all. Blackfire was just showing me some alien martial arts. How come you never taught me these cool moves?" Robin asked not realizing that his curiosity was slowly twisting a stone knife in Starfire's heart.

"Probably because she doesn't know them, I always _was _the better fighter." Blackfire answered smirking.

And with that Blackfire led Robin away speaking on more of her triumphs and power. Starfire merely closed her eyes in defeat.

As the day passed the Titans had all gathered on the couch to relax when Starfire came in holding two big buckets of popcorn and soda, balancing on different movies.

"Friends, I invite you to join me in the togetherness of a stay home movie night. I bring you popcorn and non-cotton candies. Tell me, what sort of movie shall we view?" At that Starfire received four different answers causing the Tamaranian girl to drop what she was holding out of depression.

"Perhaps a double feature?" she suggested.

"Forget the flicks kids, we're going out!" exclaimed Blackfire as she entered the room wearing Starfire's clothes.

"We are? Where did you? Are those my?" Starfire never finishing her questions as Blackfire walked past her, not even acknowledging Star.

"Heard about a party downtown, cool crowd, hot music," she said. All of the Titans agreeing to it, even Raven, once Blackfire told her that it was in a creepy rundown warehouse. Starfire watched as each one of her friends left to go follow her big sister.

"Hey sweetie, raided your closet, hope you don't mind me borrowing your look." Blackfire said as she passed by.

"Why not? You have already borrowed my friends." At that Starfire trailed behind.

* * *

><p><em>Danny had followed Skulker to the place called Axion Labs, where he watched as Skulker took a container with a warning seal from one cabinet.<em>

"_Bloodstream nano-bots? Why do you need those?" Danny asked as he stood there floating off the ground. Until Skulker fired a blue glowing net, catching Danny off guard and sending him to the tile floor, Skulker then proceeded to turn intangible and leave._

"_Hey, get back here!" Danny yelled his hands glowing a liquid green tearing the net apart._

"_You didn't even call me whelp!" Danny said chasing after the mechanical green flaming haired ghost._

_As Danny flew past Axion Labs, quickly gaining air to get Skulker he noticed a red convertible jeep parked in the grass followed shortly by…oh no, his sister, Jazz._

"_You've just earned a one way ticket to Thermos land, ghost!" She screamed uncapping the thermos and firing a single blue stream of ecto-energy designed to trap and contain ecto-entities. Unfortunately, instead of catching Skulker, she caught Danny Phantom._

"_Oops, maybe I should work on my witty banter." Jazz said to Danny who was stuck in the thermos. Vaguely she could hear a muffled "Start, with your aim!" coming from inside the thermos._

To this day Danny still laughed at that memory, Jazz had gone to try and help him, or rather him as Phantom, but over the course of the week she only managed to get him stuck in the Fenton Thermos four other times. One of them being Danny himself pushing the button so as to save his sister the trouble. And that had been the start of it; Jazz had started helping him as Phantom, or trying to (Fenton Thermos remember) so that maybe he would be able to tell her the truth as Danny Fenton.

Though it didn't quite work out that way. Danny was walking downtown, his sister's sheepish smile flittering through his mind, when he came across an old rundown warehouse that looked to be having a massive free for all party._ 'What the heck, not like it's going to kill me if I open the shop up a little late tomorrow.' _With that in mind Danny made his way over to the double doors, where two bouncers were sitting apparently to keep the older perverts and creepers out. Danny got in without any trouble. Upon entering, he was immersed in thousands of changing lights and the heavy backbeat of techno music. Maybe the crazy chick had been right. Danny did need to loosen up.

* * *

><p>"Step aside Earthlings, the queen of the galaxy has arrived!" Blackfire said as her body swayed in time to the music. Starfire on the other hand was struggling not to get overrun by other party goers, naturally fighting against the pull of the crowd. This was not her kind of thing. Robin, Beastboy, and Cyborg were already dancing to the music. Blackfire had surrounded herself with ten different guys. Even Raven had left to go talk about how pointless life was with some emo guy wearing a black shirt and a pack-man ghost plastered on it, black eyeliner smeared under his eyes. But this was a place Starfire did not belong, and the feeling only worsened as two nerdy looking guys approached her with bad pick up lines.<p>

"Hey hot alien girl, you digging the scene?" one asked.

"I did not know we were supposed to bring shovels?" Starfire replied not understanding the question.

Embarrassment flooded through her system as both guys burst out laughing at her confusion, calling her a ditz, stupid and other words that she couldn't even begin to know or understand. But nonetheless made her want to sink into the floor.

"Actually, I think she should have brought a shovel. After all, she'd need one so she could bury your corpses in the ground. Or are you forgetting that this _hot alien girl _could kill you with one punch," came a voice from beside Starfire. Both the guys seemed to pale and instantly backed off, muttering apologies to both Starfire and the guy they had apparently pissed off. Starfire turned to thank the boy who saved her but stopped when she saw who it was, Danny.

"Not friend, Danny?" Starfire said surprised by him helping her. Especially when the last time she saw him he'd made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her or the Teen Titans. Danny turned his blue eyes on her, his annoyance clear.

"You need to stick up for yourself." He scolded.

"But I did not understand the question?"

"So, just because you don't understand something doesn't make it right for people to laugh at you."

"I am sorry. Normally Robin is the one who explains to me what people mean," Starfire confessed in defeat, looking altogether like a kicked puppy.

Danny sighed. "And where is Robin?" He asked mentally kicking himself at worrying over her.

"With my sister, dancing to the music of techno," she said, Danny's eyes following her gaze to where Robin, Cyborg and Beastboy were completely oblivious to their friend's plight. Danny felt his blood boil at this, they shouldn't have left her alone in a place that clearly Starfire had never been exposed to. The next feeling that over took him was hatred towards Star's sister, who by the looks of it, clearly was at ease among the crowd. Even appearing to have high jacked some of Star's clothes.

"Danny?" Starfire asked concerned as she saw his ice blue eyes harden into crystals that seemed to glow in the light, rivaling that of the gem her sister Blackfire had given her, still hanging around her neck.

"Come on." He suddenly said, pulling her to the stairs behind the fire wall that led to the roof, she never registered the fact that his skin was cool to the touch, almost like plunging one's hand in chilled water.

Once outside Starfire began feeling better, out here the warm air wasn't stifling, and no one was stepping on, or pushing her around. Out here she could breathe, out here she was simply alone. Instantly, Starfire's mood fell, she was out here alone and her friends were below with her perfect sister.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked his voice strangely kind.

Starfire jumped, she'd forgotten he was here.

"Nothing is wrong, not friend Danny, everything is wonderful." She replied cheerfully. But her defenses crumbled as he looked at her, concern evident in those frozen eyes, he looked so…unmovable. Safe. Starfire crumbled, falling onto the edge of the building, the gravel roof swimming in her vision as Danny moved to sit beside her.

"Everything is not wonderful. I am happy to see her, but… Blackfire rules the video games, and she is able to share very depressing poems, and she knows the cool moves, and she always knows when people are not talking about shovels, and...and I am nothing like her," Star finished, sighing as she let her head drop into her hands, fighting back the tears threatening to slip free.

"No, you're not, you are only you. And tell me, is that such an awful thing?" Danny calmly spoke. His eyes betraying nothing to his feelings.

"Yes. No, Blackfire is my big sister and she is perfect, I am not."

"Then Blackfire should be ashamed of herself," Danny snapped his voice not hiding the anger inside him.

"What, no! Blackfire should not be shamed, she is my sister and I love her!" Starfire exclaimed.

"So what if you love her, no sibling should make you feel worse about who you are, that's not love, and it certainly isn't fair to you Starfire."

"But she's my…"

"Sister. I get it trust me, but Starfire, your sister should be the one to protect you and love you, not make you sit up here to the point of tears." He said comfortingly.

"Then what should I do?" Starfire asked. Why was talking with him so easy?

"Sorry, but you're going to have to figure that out for yourself." Danny replied, heading back to the door. Sighing, Starfire decided to follow him back, but as she made her way forward she stopped short when a pink mechanical squid emerged from behind the big sign, heading straight for her.

Danny turned just in time to see the thing as it began attacking her. Immediately his first instinct was to transform but this wasn't like last time, he had nowhere to hide (although now that he thought about it that hadn't stopped him) but Starfire wasn't like Robin. She knew he was here. It pained Danny to think it, but he needed to get her stupid friends, and possibly her lousy sister.

* * *

><p>Beastboy had been dancing away when he noticed two shadows fighting on the roof, one big, the other in the shape of a girl. He watched as the smaller of the two began to lose air. Realization dawning, he blindly reached for his friend. "Cyborg, Star's in trouble!"<p>

Just as Cyborg turned to BB, four tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around the green changeling and with that they entered the fight. Raven quickly joining once she saw Beastboy get dragged past her, her Goth friend turning tail and running the other direction. Raven went to work on freeing Beastboy right as Starfire came crashing through the glass, another squid after her. Instantly, all three probes stopped fighting the other Titans and went straight to the greatest signature to the one they were hunting. Star tried to get away, pausing as she watched Cyborg slow them down and Beastboy slicing at them with his claws in tiger form, until both he and Cyborg were blasted back.

Robin had been getting worried. He hadn't seen Starfire all night, he was half way up the stairs when Blackfire stopped him, wearing a bubble gum pink wig she'd gotten from some random person.

"Where are you going? Stay and talk to me." Blackfire said latching onto Robin's arm, preventing him from moving.

"Look, I just want to make sure Starfire's o.k.," he said, at the same moment Danny came bounding down the stairs, nearly barreling into the two teens if his reflexes hadn't stopped him.

"Hey, has anything pink and squid-like attacked Starfire recently? Because if so, then it has friends," Danny stated.

Robin didn't pause to ask questions, nor did he stop as Danny raced down the stairs bent on getting to Starfire before those things did. No, Robin only stopped when he noticed that Blackfire hadn't moved, a strange look on her face.

"Didn't you hear him, your sister needs help?"

This caused confusion to pass over her face but it was gone the next second, covered up by a coy smile.

"Right. Of course," Blackfire said pulling off the pink hair piece and following Robin outside where the squids were lifting up a trash bin with a screaming Starfire in it.

As Robin and Cyborg yelled "Teen Titans, Go!" Blackfire flew into action. Her violet eyes shifting over into an energized form of the color until you couldn't even see the whites of her eyes. Charging at the three squid probes that were now moving to attack her. Violet electric energy shot out from her eyes, each hitting a probe dead center, causing them to explode upon the impact. In less than five seconds, Blackfire had taken out all three squids.

"Ah yeah, good times!" Cyborg yelled as the rest of the Titans ran to meet up with Blackfire.

"Nice shootin', B." Beastboy praised.

"Very nice," came Raven's reply.

"How did you know where to hit them?" Robin asked.

"Lucky guess," Blackfire shrugged.

"We could use luck like that. Maybe you ought to join the team." Cyborg said.

"Me, a Teen Titan?" Blackfire answered in false surprise and flattery. Starfire wrenched open the trash bin in shock, her friends just asked her sister to join them! They were going to replace her. No one seemed to notice Star's broken expression, except Danny who moved out of the shadows after making sure it was 'safe.' Calmly he walked over to Starfire, who hadn't quite managed to wipe the look of hurt from her face yet, and extended his hand.

"Here, let me help you."

Numbly, Starfire allowed Danny to help lift her out of the trash bin, brush the banana peel from her hair, and straighten the gem of her necklace before she finally registered her feet were standing on solid ground. Starfire really wanted to embrace Danny then, but settled on giving him a small timid smile.

"Thank you, not friend Danny," She whispered, everyone having grown quiet at his presence. The Titans all registering that yes, that was Danny, the one who _really_ didn't like them, and Blackfire recognizing him from the park yesterday night.

"Hey, you're the one who I met at the other night. Glad to see you cutting loose," she said her superior tone back.

"Glad to see you not stuck inside a tree covered in dirt," Danny shot back, his voice giving off dangerous tones. Blackfire took a step back, this kid felt like power, a blush spreading across her face as well.

"Please do not fight. I am unharmed, not-friend Danny."

At that Danny seemed to lose his hostility as he met her somber green eyes, a sad smile on her face.

"You're far from okay," and with this he gave a slight bow to her and walked back through the giant gaping hole in the wall to where the party was. He only stayed there temporarily before turning invisible and leaving to head home just as the Titans were doing.

* * *

><p><em>Danny had screwed up. Not only had he yelled at his sister<em>_.__Bu__t he had inadvertently yelled at her in front of practically the entire school. Now she was mad at him, and had run off to Wisconsin where the crazy fruitloop__ (__also Danny's archenemy__)__ Vlad lived, to prove him wrong__.__Alt__hough he didn't know that at the time._

_Danny hadn't meant to get so mad, it was that Jazz helping him out as Phantom wasn't helping__:__ first him getting sucked into the Fenton Thermos __(__to the point where he was pretty sure he was now claustrophobic__)__second,__ Jazz accidently pushing him onto the ecto-converter which took a ghost's natural energy and used it to fuel a device such as the car which it was hooked up to__._

_At which point Jazz apologized, and__ said__ that it was weird that it mysteriously worked when he'd touched it. And lastly, when he and Skulker were fighting and she'd told Skulker exactly where the ecto-converter was, the very thing Danny didn't want him to know since that was the thing Skulker wanted! Afterwards__, __Danny merely saved Jazz the trouble and pushed the button on the Fenton Thermos sucking him in. Then when she'd told his human-self that she'd hacked into his private ghost files, who could blame him for snapping__?_

_Unfortunately, him snapping resulted in her crying, and what was worse was the fact that Danny was pretty positive that she knew about him being Phantom. And when his parents __had __c__o__me into his bedroom that morning telling him she was missing, he knew where she went with the specter-speeder__. T__o hunt Skulker and prove him wrong. Well__, turns out Danny had been__ half right. _

_She hadn't gone to hunt Skulker, she'd __gone__ to Vlad__. T__he one who she believed had hired Skulker to take the bloodstream nano-bots, the ecto-converter, and what appeared to be one of Technus's inventions. She'd been right of course. In the end, Vlad had used all of the inventions to make the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton (which he had stolen) human compatible, without it turning the wearer into a dried up prune. The bloodstream nano-bots giving Vlad the power to kill whoever was in the suit as well__.__In__ this case, Jazz._

_For when she found out his plan, he decided to test out his new invention on her__.__E__specially after Skulker returned from the Ghost Zone with the final piece and Danny Phantom as a gift. So being the fruitloop that he was, Vlad forced Danny and Jazz to fight. Jazz in the ecto-skeleton, Danny in his ghost form, whoever was left standing, would be his child. Which grossed both of them out._

"_O.k. on my count__,__ run," Danny whispered._

"_I'll run when I feel like it." __Jazz__ snapped back._

_As they ran across the football field that Vlad owned they soon learned that it had a modified ghost shield covering it__.__P__reventing both ghosts and humans from passing. So the two teens were forced to fight. Danny tried to explain that they needed to make the fight convincing__.__B__ut Jazz kept refusing to listen to anything Danny had to say until out of __sheer __frustration, he turned her and the ecto-skeleton intangible and stuck her in the ground. Placing his hands on the glass dome that showed her sitting inside it Danny yelled,_

"_Will you just listen to me for once in your life__?"_

"_Duh, I am listening to you, Danny. You said make it look convincing, so I am. I trust you."_

_I__t was that commen__t__. The look in her eyes told him everything. She knew who he was and she still loved him for it. And so they fought, Jazz breaking free of the Earth and grabbed his upper right arm and threw him across the field, only to catch him again, holding him up in the air. Danny begged for his life— while trying to contain the joy in his heart knowing that his sister had forgiven him, both for their fight at school, and that he had been lying to her about who he truly was— but barely managing to pull it off, __before__ she slammed him back into the ground where he pretended to stay down. _

_Jazz finally admitting she knew that Danny Phantom was her little brother when she called __to __him out loud —but also seemed to be struggling with not squealing for joy that her little brother finally knew what she had figured out long ago—together their performance managed to fool Vlad enough to come down and console Jazz on 'killing' her brother, when she promptly turned to him and said,_

"_Guess again, fruitloop." With that she blasted him back with an ecto-beam__, __throwing __Vlad__ into the bleachers._

"_Oh, so that's how it's going to be, eh? Need I remind you that with a press of a button I can end your resistance once and for…?" Vlad was cut short as Danny appeared below him and snatched the remote that held her life on it away and the switch to the ghost shield as well._

"_Oh, cheese logs." He said. Bending down to try and find Danny who then blasted him all the way to the other side of the field._

"_You, you, you tricked me, both of you!" Vlad spluttered with an air of offended dignity._

"_Barely, 'oh no, what have I done? Can you ever forgive me, oh my poor little brother?' I mean, what was that__,__ Jazz?" Danny said laughing so hard he got a stitch in his side._

"_Like you__'__r__e __one to talk, Danny, 'Oh please Jazz don't!'" She said back._

_Both teens now laughing uncontrollably as Vlad rose in anger, "oh, so you think that's funny do you, well then tell me girl, does this surprise you?" Vlad snapped as he turned into his ghost half laughing manically only to notice a sticky note attached to the empty ecto-skeleton that said 'no, not surprised' then the self-destruct coming online in five, four, three, two, "oh, butter biscuits" one. BOOM! And just like that, Jazz had truly entered Danny's world. All thanks to Vlad. _

_Although as Danny fl__own__ both him and Jazz back to the specter speeder, so she could drive or technically fly them home, he__'d__ never told her that when she__'d__ thr__own__ him into the shield the first time__,__ that she'd fractured his arm in the process. But that __hardly__ mattered for Danny had his big sister back. A moment in time he wouldn't __have __trade__d __for the world._

* * *

><p>Starfire was on the roof of Titan's Tower, a pink backpack on her shoulders, resignation in her eyes. Her sister was perfect, she could never compare to her and so Starfire took flight, only to be stopped by Robin who had appeared on the roof looking for her.<p>

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?" He asked confusion and hurt showing through him. Starfire gazed at him, and then slowly sank back to the roof holding her arms while dropping her backpack that landed with a soft thud behind her.

"Robin, I…"

She never got to finish for a flat platform ship emerged behind them, with two red mechanical aliens with claws. One of them immediately fired at Robin, knocking him back with a green elastic slime that then took hold of Starfire, wrapping itself around her stomach, chest, arms and her mouth preventing her from screaming as the robot began dragging her back. The ship taking flight, her along with it. Panic overtook Starfire. She couldn't get away, her eyes completely electric green as she struggled for freedom.

Robin was running to her now, jumping off Titan's Tower in an attempt to get a hold of her, he almost had her foot when gravity began to take effect, and soon he was falling. Starfire screamed, though muffled. Robin had jumped, she saw him fall though she couldn't look down to see him as the red robot with a face that looked like a robotic crab pulled her onto the ship and placed her in a clear dome holding cell. She kept struggling, Robin was falling and she had to catch him. That was her job. Why were these things even after her? Star gazed at them with panicked eyes, who were these men?

"Prepare to leave orbit, we have the Tamaranian girl," One said his voice high and grating.

"Once we return to Centaury, you will pay for what you have done," The other said his voice low and accusing.

'But I have never been there.' She thought frantically, her eyes still electric green, confusion on her face. Panic still in her heart for Robin.

* * *

><p>Robin was falling. His grappling hook wouldn't be able to reach the ship that had Starfire on it. So he was falling. Panic began setting in, as he realized it was a ten story drop to the ocean, one that he probably wouldn't survive. The knowledge took root, he was going to die. That was when he felt someone grab him by the shoulders and immediately he stopped falling. In fact, he seemed to be floating and yet he wasn't the one controlling it. That was when Robin saw a flash of white next to him and turning his head, there was the same teen with snow white hair and glowing green eyes that he hadn't noticed the first time down in the sewers.<p>

"What are you doing here?" He asked but the teen never answered, he simply shifted his hold on Robin a little, who then felt the teen's power surge through him. Power that he could not control. It was a feeling like none other, Robin's whole being felt like it never belonged to the natural order of things, and he felt light. Free.

It was then that Robin realized that he was flying, not vertically but horizontally; this kid was making him fly. Although Robin was pretty sure that if he let go of the teen's shoulders which he had grabbed out of instinct, he would fall towards his doom again, but this feeling, it was amazing and Robin wondered if this was how Star felt while flying. Starfire! She needed help and looking up at the clouds, Robin saw them closing in on the ship, fast.

* * *

><p>Danny had been worried, after the party he'd been walking home when the squids came back into his mind. They had only been after Starfire, and they didn't seem to want to kill her, they'd wanted to capture her. Danny stopped, if they were only the <em>dogs,<em> then who was their _master?_ He took off at a run, passing his house, heading for the path on the park, following its winding trail until he emerged at the beach. Where in the darkness he saw a ship take off, Starfire with it and Robin falling towards the ocean. Danny instantly transformed and broke into flight at three hundred miles per hour.

Racing to Robin who he caught around the shoulders with ease, careful not to slam into him when he did. Silently, Danny observed him as Robin first registered surprise, then confusion and lastly, recognition? That last emotion caught Danny off guard, he knew him, how? Danny didn't let the worry show on his face, but he wouldn't answer Robin's question in case the teen remembered his voice, if he'd ever heard it.

Danny instead looked towards the sky and saw the ship, they needed to get there fast before it left orbit; and with this Danny let some of his power flow in and around Robin, giving Danny the power for both him and Robin to fly. Well Danny at least, if Robin let go it would be bye-bye boy wonder. He quickly caught up to the ship where he placed Robin on the bottom of it, who clung to it and listened as he heard the two beings speak of them leaving with Starfire.

"No one's taking her away." Robin hissed and with that leapt into action. Danny stayed beneath the ship pondering; those two robots spoke of Starfire committing crimes back on their home planet. But to anyone who knew Star, she was definitely not the criminal type. So why where they here unless… Danny didn't finish his thought for at that moment one of the robots managed to destroy a side engine causing the ship sink out of the sky until it hit the dirt in the desert outside of Jump City. Robin holding onto Starfire as she flew them a safe distance away from the crash. Danny joining them as did the other Titans who had been tracking the ship since they heard it outside of the Tower. Starfire and Robin didn't hear them calling, for they were too busy looking at Danny, who was too busy looking at the crash site. As the other Titans joined them they too turned their eyes to the striking white haired teen.

"Um, who's the guy with old man hair?" Beastboy asked.

Danny chose to ignore this as did the other teens, for while his hair was white, it certainly didn't look old. But all fell silent as the two robots appeared from the wreckage and began making their way towards the group and the Titans all took battle stances.

"Titans, get ready," Robin ordered.

But Danny didn't. Instead he approached the two aliens, who observed his calm demeanor.

"Why are you here?" Danny asked.

The two robots stopped, one immediately reaching for his chest and pulled off a red platelet turning it around to reveal a black and gold badge.

"We are the Centaury Police and in the name of the Grand Central Council, you are all under arrest for aiding and abiding this thief," the one with the deep voice said.

Every one of the Titans' jaws dropped

"Um, you can't be the good guys, we're the good guys." Beastboy pointed out, motioning to each of the Titans, but hesitating when he got to Danny.

"It's nice to know you're the police. But there's only one problem with who you're hunting, she's innocent," Danny said.

"No, she's not. The Tamaranian girl is a liar and a thief. She has committed high crimes throughout the entire Centaury System," the other Centaury said pointing to Starfire.

"But I have never even been to the Centaury moons?" Starfire stated turning her gaze to Robin. And as Robin looked at her, he knew who both the strange teen and the Centaury Police were speaking about. And reaching for Starfire, he pulled off her green moon diamond.

"No, but I know someone who has," he said, realization dawning on her and the other Titans. Throwing the diamond to the Centauries, Robin answered the question they were about to ask.

"You've been chasing the wrong girl, where's Blackfire?" He asked.

"Uh…"Beastboy said as he pointed to the sky where a figure could be seen flying away.

"Don't worry, Star, she won't get away with this." Robin said, walking over to where she was standing. In that moment Starfire snapped, her sister, the one who was supposed to love and protect her, was_using _her. Fury filled her heart, her eyes becoming completely electric green.

"No she will not," with this Starfire took off after Blackfire.

"Titans, we need to…" Robin said about to give orders so they could help out Star. But he was cut short as Danny stepped in, his echoy voice rooting them in place.

"No, this is her fight."

And with that, they watched as Starfire and her older sister began fighting, Blackfire blasting her little sister back.

"I always was the better fighter." She said smugly.

Starfire immediately regained her ground, her sister was a criminal and she needed to turn her over to the police.

"Not anymore." Star growled, she had grown up, and she was done with her sister using her. At this she began dodging the violet army of star-bolts that Blackfire was shooting at her. Starfire drew upon only one green star-bolt and fired it, hitting her sister's hand dead on, temporarily shorting out her power. Starfire's hands, glowing with fierce power that reflected in her eyes and as Blackfire prepared to attack again, a green elastic rope wrapped around Blackfire preventing her from moving, the one holding it was the Centaury with the deep voice.

"Blackfire of Tamaran, you are under arrest," he said pulling her down as she struggled to get free.

And just like that the fight was over. Starfire had won, she had broken hold of her sister's power. But looking at Blackfire who was being pulled away she couldn't help but remember that this was still her sister and she still loved her.

"Farewell, sister. Although you did betray and attack me… it was still very nice to see you," she said trying to convey her sense of love by waving, though some of her sadness still shone through. But Blackfire wouldn't hear any of it, she was angry, her electric violet eyes showing her heart.

"Next time it won't be so nice. I will get out of jail little sister, and I will get _even_." Blackfire snarled as she was pulled to the second ship just outside the atmosphere leaving Starfire alone in the sky.

The Titans had watched the air fight on the ground, while every now and then shifting their gazes to Danny, who just pretended not to notice them. When Starfire came back down to Earth, her feet landing lightly on the dirt, he turned to leave.

"Wait, that's twice you've saved me, why? Who are you?" Robin asked all of the Titans' gazes on the ghost teen.

"Because you didn't deserve to die, and it doesn't matter who I am, for I'm just a Phantom" and with this, Danny left in a flash of green light, teleporting him back to the park where he transformed back into Danny Fenton and jogged home. Trying not to remember Robin's gaze.

* * *

><p>Starfire was sitting on the roof again the wind blowing her hair as she watched the sunrise. She knew what she had done was right, but that didn't make it any easier. As she gazed at the rising light she felt Robin join her.<p>

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked.

"I am, sad for my sister," she answered, her forest green eyes closing, her face resting on drawn up knees.

"And for yourself? Last night on the roof, you were going to leave, why?" Robin asked.

"I am just glad the truth was discovered before I was replaced?" She said simply.

"What are you talking about? Is that why you were going to leave?" he asked astounded.

"Well, you, everyone was having such fun with her and then Cyborg said…"Star's panic and nervousness coming through as she spoke, twitching her fingers anxiously.

"Look, your sister was interesting but she could never take your place. No one could ever take your place, Starfire," Robin said a smile gracing his face, and so the sun continued to rise. Robin's words evaporating all the doubts in Starfire's heart.

"_Just remember__,__ Danny, I will always be here if you need to talk, but I'll still be over protective and pushy." Jazz stated as she flew the specter speeder home__. __Danny sitting beside her on the soft leather material._

"_I wouldn't have it any other way, sis." And with this Jazz and Danny headed home._

An: Read & Review

~Rin


	4. Chapter 3: The Division Between Heros

_This world of flames..._

"_A house divided against itself cannot stand."_

_~Abraham Lincoln_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 3: The Division Between Heroes

It was starting to get late. The green sky outside slowly darkening as the sun dipped behind Clockwork's tower. Taking note of this, Danny stood up from the comfy arm chair he'd been sitting on and stretched, careful not to topple over any of the books surrounding him. This was where he spent most of his Saturday afternoons. In the Ghost Zone, sitting in his favorite chair (which he'd named Cloud because for some reason that's what it reminded him of.) There he sat reading all kinds of books housed inside Clockwork's home. Most of them were even first editions lost through time which had ended up here. Although Danny was pretty sure Clockwork had stolen the Declaration of Independence even though he claimed it would have been burned in the forest fire of 1777. After all, what the government didn't know, wouldn't miss.

Danny personally thought Clockwork took it because he liked the pretty writing. This was also where Danny did most of his shopping for his bookstore. Any book he thought would be important he'd take over to Ghostwriter, who'd then make a copy of it–if one didn't exist– and Danny would be on his way. Although, there had been a couple of times where the two ghosts had to make up book covers, such as with Aristotle's scrolls. Ghostwriter having made it look like a Renaissance monk had taken the works and placed it in book form, then Danny went to Clockwork and asked if it was okay and that what they'd done wouldn't destroy the timeline. He'd given Clockwork a good laugh at that. Bending down, Danny began picking up the books he'd skimmed through, placing them back onto their shelves, occasionally flying to put them in the proper places. As Danny was doing this, he never noticed the pale blue Ghost of Time float into the library watching the young white haired teen place _The Prince _written by Machiavelli back on its shelf.

"Find any good books?" Clockwork asked.

His question startled Danny who spun around mid air, his green eyes meeting the Ghost of Times gentle red ones.

"Don't scare me like that! And yes, I have. Can I take _The Poisonwood Bible _and _Brave New World? _I don't have those and they seem pretty interesting." Danny said as he picked up the two books from his chair, one a plain tan with simple depictions of tribal dancing people on the cover, while the other, a white covering with the title printed in bold italic lettering as he floated over to Clockwork who looked at them with interest.

"Of course. They are not the originals I see, you are getting better at finding the copies," he noted, clearly impressed, his form shifting to that of an old ghost with a long white beard.

Danny took no notice of this, for after you'd seen him change a few times you got used to it. But Clockwork's age always hinted at what he was feeling, in this case, amusement.

"Humph, after coming here for almost a year, you start to pick up on things, like how you hide the copies on the bottom shelf and give them different colored covers." Danny said, still a little peeved at Clockwork for scaring him earlier.

"You are getting better," Clockwork replied, smiling at the white haired teen.

"Thanks. Well I need to get going. Have to take inventory and pay the bills," Danny said and with this began flying towards the two ornate double doors with jet black handles.

"Danny wait, here, you should add this book to your store as well."

Danny paused as Clockwork, now middle aged handed him an old black book with yellow and blue lines running down the side, a single Japanese character carved in the center.

"This is an original. Clockwork are you sure you want me to have this?" Danny asked his eyes filled with confusion.

"Of course. Why else would I give it to you? The book might come in handy."

And with this Danny's eyes seemed to shadow over. Danny gave the Ghost of Time a brief smile and waved goodbye as he flew off with the books in hand. Almost making Clockwork forget that this was the same boy who was still burning up inside. Still closed off from the world.

"See you next Saturday," Danny called as he left.

Clockwork hovered in his tower alone. The gears on the clocks of time turning away, silent and unchanging.

"I'm afraid young Danny, that you will be too preoccupied to come," Clockwork foretold as he left to go watch the parade of time.

* * *

><p>There was a break in at the prison. Which while weird in most cities, it wasn't as unusual in Jump. The police came to check it out, only they didn't stand a chance as the twelve foot hunk of rock named Cinderblock busted down the doors to the inside of the maximum security prison. The inside of the place was tall, and shaped like a metal hexagon, the long prison bars giving off an ominous feeling of blue fire and brimstone. But Cinderblock paid no attention to the darkly lit room. He had a mission but was stopped when he was met by the Teen Titans.<p>

"You know Cinderblock, normally the bad guys break out of jail," Beastboy commented.

"And I can give you five good reasons why you don't want to break in," came Robin's voice.

At this all of the Titans leapt into action. Almost as if they'd practiced the introduction. And if Danny had been there, he would have undoubtedly never spoken to the Titans again. For while they were serious, they were treating it like a game that held no consequences. But Danny wasn't there, and soon growing impatient Cinderblock attacked, and while the Titans attacks were powerful they still hadn't mastered attacking as a team. Hitting Cinderblock with only one or two attacks at a time until Cinderblock had managed to make it to his hallway, turning to follow, Robin paused, extending a hand to Cyborg who'd just used a steal beam to sword fight with.

"Wanna give him the sonic boom?" Robin asked pulling Cyborg up, the mechanical teen's arm transformed into a sonic cannon.

"I got the sonic, if you got the boom," Cyborg said back, smirking and with this the two teens raced towards Cinderblock, running up the walls of the prison, Cyborg aiming his cannon and Robin pulling out a blue exploding disk. But as both prepared to fire, their feet tangled and they came down with a yell as Cy's cannon fired at Starfire and Beastboy, and Robin's disk slid under Raven's feet and exploded knocking her back. Cinderblock all the while was moving deeper into the prison until he came to a cell wall, and then proceeded to destroy each one as he made his way towards his destination, freeing prisoners as he went. As the Titans recovered from their mishap they soon had to round up the inmates who were making a break for it.

Cinderblock reached his destination, a room that held prisoner 38519 and the door underneath it reading 'ABSOLUTE SILENCE.' Cinderblock knocked down the door, and entered the pitch black room where a lone prisoner slept, floating in suspended animation inside a cryogenic container. The man was lanky, and held no real muscle that could be seen. For he was dressed only in plain black swimwear, his brown hair cropped short, he was snoring lightly as Cinderblock ripped his container out of the ceiling, disconnecting it to the filtration pipes. Now Cinderblock could return to his master and with this he destroyed the earth beneath his feet and disappeared along with the prisoner.

It took a while but after the Titans had rounded up all of the prisoners, they let the police handle the rest. But at Beastboy's simple remark about a jailbreak, an argument broke out between Robin and Cyborg.

"Jailbreak? None of us would have seen a jail break if Cyborg hadn't messed up." Robin snapped accusingly, his voice taking on a childish tone.

"Me? I messed up nothin'. You got in my way!" Cy yelled back, neither of them facing each other anymore.

"You were to far forward and Cinderblock got away because of it!" Robin said turning back to glare up at Cyborg whose face then flushed red out of anger, "You saying this is _my fault_?!"

"Want me to _say it again_?!" Robin yelled seething, both friends glaring lightning bolts at each other.

"Stop. No more mean talking." Starfire pleaded trying to intervene in the situation.

"Yeah, if you two are going to fight, we need to sell tickets." Beastboy suggested. Not realizing that his antics weren't helping the situation which got him a scathing glare from Raven.

"Enough. Cinderblock escaped, no amount of yelling will change that. So stop acting like _idiots _and let's go home." Raven said as she gazed at the backs of her fighting friends, wondering what the Phantom would say to these two blockheads. Both boys simply looked at each other, snorted, and began to walk away in opposite directions, scowls firmly in place.

"Loser," Robin said.

"Jerk," Cyborg said.

"_What did you say?!"_ Both yelled, now back to where they started. Only the other three Titans were left to cower in the corner.

_"You have a problem, Tinman?"_ Robin yelled, veins showing on his forehead.

"Yeah, it's four feet tall and smells like cheap _hairjel."_ Cyborg said smugly back.

"Well you're an _Oversize Klutz_, and your feet smell like _Motor oil_." Robin snapped.

"You're _Bossy_, you're _Rude_, and you got _No_ taste in music." Cy yelled back and at this Robin glared at Cyborg until he said the one thing he would instantly regret.

_"I don't even know why you're on this team?!"_

_"That makes two of us, I quit!"_

Time seemed to spin out of control as Star, Raven, BB, and Robin all watched as Cyborg left the prison alone. His metal feet echoing how far he went until they disappeared altogether, leaving the Titans completely alone, and Robin, who hung his head in regret.

* * *

><p>It was dark, the cogs and tumblers moving in synchronization to that of a broken clock. All the gears turning pointlessly, their mechanical sound giving off ominous disharmony as they all seemed to work together to produce ear splitting sound. Nothing like that of the clocks in the time master's home. These were loud, and abrasive to the ears and there, sitting on a lone throne, masked in darkness was Slade. The man who took in the sounds of the perfectly broken clocks as if they were music. As he listened he began to hear the steady drum of two heavy lidded feet, and Cinderblock emerged from the shadows, standing in the dimly lit area by Slade's throne. The prisoner still sleeping in his chamber.<p>

"Cinderblock, I see your mission was a success, good." Slade stated observing the sleeping man.

"We will proceed with phase two: wake him."

Cinderblock did as ordered and gripped the top of the prisoner's chamber and twisted until the lid popped and came off. Releasing trapped gas in the process, the prisoner began to stir.

"I'm, I'm awake? I should never be awake. I'm only human when I'm sleeping!" The prisoner screamed, panic coursing through him. Gazing up at the man who wore only a mask that revealed one evil, steel grey eye.

"But for what I have in mind, your human form is useless. I need Plasmas!" Slade said, his eye glistening as he gripped his fist in merciless desire, watching the man begin to expand inside the cylindrical container. His skin going muddy brown, his eyes turning a sickening green, until he became too big for the glass to contain, it began cracking until it shattered, and as the smoke cleared, there stood not a human, but a reeking monster with acid eyes who simply screeched. His form seeming to want to fall apart but at the same time remained together.

"Perfect," Slade said, the gears continuing there sickening turns making the clock chime death.

* * *

><p>Beastboy had been calling him nonstop since he'd stormed out of the prison, and frankly it was starting to annoy Cyborg. When he'd quit the team Cyborg wasn't exactly thinking clearly, for after he walked all the way to downtown Jump, Cyborg realized he had nowhere to sleep.<p>

"Great, I decide to quit and become homeless, while Robin gets to sleep in a bed. Stupid pointy haired jerk," Cy grumbled as the wind brushed over the small parts of his human flesh reminding him that he still needed a place to crash. Preferably inside. As he was thinking this, he noticed a person walking down the sidewalk, two grocery bags in hand who paused at a two story building.

_'He must live there.'_ Cyborg thought, at this realization, hope rushed through him. If that person lived there then maybe they would be willing to let him stay a couple of days. After all, a house that big had to have some spare bedrooms. Cyborg began approaching the figure as they were pulling out their keys and Cyborg was just able to register that the person was male.

"Hey man, could I ask a favor?" Cy asked trying not to sound desperate. He was met with jet black hair and crystalline eyes that were able to pierce through darkness_. 'Oh, crap.'_ Cyborg thought as he stared down at Danny through the blackness of the night.

Danny had shortly gotten back from the Ghost Zone when his stomach let out a growl. Stubbornly reminding him that he'd forgotten to go grocery shopping before heading out to Clockwork's. Sighing, Danny set the books on one of his lab tables, grabbed his keys, and headed out. One of the benefits to living in a big city, the grocery stores were never closed and were always in a walking distance from his house. Of course, this would be the one night he decided to do his shopping at night and Cyborg just had to be out and about. Annoyance flared through Danny as Cyborg looked at him as if he was about to spontaneously combust, which if it meant the Titan would leave him alone, Danny might just try.

"What are you doing out? It's two in the morning," Danny snapped, trying not to drop his keys.

"Well, you're still out and about aren't you? So why can't I be?" Cyborg retaliated, his anger from earlier rearing up. Cy squashed it back down. It was either ask Danny to stay one night at his house, or go find a park bench.

"You can, but if you're here than your supper powered buddies can't be far behind, and I'm really not in the mood," Danny said as he turned the key in the lock.

"They're not coming." Cyborg answered his face grimacing at the memory of Robin and the team's faces after he quit. Danny paused at this, his eyes meeting Cy's showing that he was listening, he quickly tried to explain.

"Look, something happened at the prison break-in tonight and I only need a place to crash 'til morning."

After a moment Danny let out a sigh, his eyes closing in frustration. These Titans were making his life _very _difficult. "Fine," Danny grumbled in a clipped tone as he pushed open the doors to his house. Mentally counting how many times he'd helped these 'heroes'. Choosing to ignore Cyborg's grateful face, they entered the store. It was pitch black and Cyborg could only register tall solid shadows as he and Danny walked further into the building. Everything was quiet. Even Cyborg's normally loud footsteps were muffled, and he figured that they were walking on very thick carpet. When Cyborg began questioning if he should switch his red eye to night vision, Danny stopped at a plain black door and began to unlock it. To Cy, the door looked like it would lead into a closet.

"Um…why are you taking me to your closet?" He asked, Danny merely huffed before opening the door, flicking on the light switch to reveal a narrow hallway with well travelled brown wooden steps.

"Well alright then," Cyborg said as he and Danny made their way down into the house. As he walked into the basement, Danny stopping by the stairs to drop his keys off on the small rack. Then making his way over to kitchen, Cyborg trailing behind couldn't help but be surprised. Danny's house was… normal. He'd expected pitch black carpet, with bats hanging from the ceiling. But the carpet was a soft white and the kitchen had a nice northern finish to it, with pale tan tiles and a marble finish to the counter tops. The kitchen was separated from the living room with pale white arches that stretched to the ceiling, there were no doors. In the living room the walls had been painted a deep rich blue, a bookshelf to the right, sitting next to a finely finished black door, a leather chair sitting in the corner next to it a desk and an office chair, above them a flat screen TV hung so that you could watch it either in the kitchen or on the couch that Cyborg nearly ran into.

"Are you done staring at my home?" Danny observed as he leaned on one arch, having finished putting the groceries away. His arms crossed in annoyance. Cyborg spun around immediately and apologized. Danny merely rolled his eyes and exited the living room through another arch. Cyborg following and now stood in a half circular room with white carpets, looking at four doors each with a dark brown finish. Two doors separated by the stairs that had a small wooden base before moving into the carpet, and two doors on its other side.

"Guest bedroom is the first door on the left. Bed's already made, spare toothbrush and toothpaste in the conjoining bathroom."

And with this, Cyborg watched as Danny moved off to the right and into his room, closing the door behind him as he went. Taking one final look at Danny's home, Cyborg couldn't help but be impressed at the architectural genius. For while the building above him was clearly designed as a square, Danny had turned the basement into an almost hexagonal shape. Without making it look blatantly obvious, he'd made it look natural. _'This kid is smarter than he looks.'_ And with this Cyborg went into the guest room and crashed for the night. Never realizing that the door in the living room led to a room that didn't exist on the buildings schematics.

* * *

><p>Danny was wide awake by five-thirty. His body covered in a thick sheen of sweat as pain ripped its way through muscles and bones. It had been a long time since the dream had effected him this badly. Shakily, he drew himself up so he could rest against the headboard. Quietly listening to make sure Cyborg hadn't woken up. He hadn't, which meant Danny hadn't screamed out in his sleep. Like the three days he'd spent in the hospital after the explosion. The doctors all believed it to be post traumatic stress, even the local shrink thought that was the cause. But they were wrong. And when the doctors had asked him to stay the night for observation to decide if they should prescribe him medication, Danny hadn't screamed. Sure, he was asleep and trapped within the dream but he made sure not to scream. To not struggle, to remain perfectly silent and still. Danny still didn't scream, but he couldn't remain still. His sleeping without a shirt proved that. For a week after he moved into his apartment he woke up to cotton shreds laying on his floor and bed. He needed to move. Struggling to stand, Danny made his way to the bathroom. His muscles slowly starting to work out the cramps and painful spasms from the dream. It was official. Helping the Titans was hazardous to his health.<p>

Cyborg woke up at seven-thirty to the heavenly smell of bacon and waffles. His stomach gave a mechanical growl even though it was still partially human. Temporarily forgetting where he was, Cy ran to the kitchen, where he was met by Danny's back, who currently was frying bacon. On the table a plate of waffles, syrup, and a cup of coffee already sat. Cyborg froze, was this Danny's? Or was it his? Did Danny even expect him to stay for breakfast? That was when he saw the clock on the stove reading seven thirty-one.

"Dude, you mean to tell me that you get up by seven-thirty on a Sunday?"

Danny turned around at this, placing the plate of bacon down with a frown on his face.

"Yes, now eat so you can leave."

Cyborg did as he was told and began gobbling down the food, watching Danny absentmindedly nibble on a piece of bacon.

"Next you're going to tell me that you spend your Saturday nights cooped up in a dusty old library," Cyborg grumbled under his breath. But Danny heard it nonetheless. Cyborg, noticing Danny's flush, assumed him to be angry, and hurriedly finished eating.

"Thanks for the food man," Cy said laughing nervously. Danny merely sighed, taking his plate and putting it in the sink. It was then Cyborg saw it. The scar running down the back of Danny's arm. The wounded flesh to dark and too long to be self inflicted and it almost looked like a… a claw? Cyborg gasped and tried to hide his shock as Danny turned back around to face him, what had this kid been through?

"You plannin' on leaving anytime soon?" Danny asked not noticing the distress in Cyborg's expression.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks again," Cyborg said heading for the stairs when Danny stopped him.

"Wait, I'll show you out, can't have you stealing anything," Danny said seriously, as he went in the living room and opened the black door grabbing the three books sitting on a sliver table just inside.

"Why would I do that? I'm the freakin' hero here!" Cyborg snapped annoyed at this. Danny stayed quiet, walking past Cyborg without a backwards glance. This scared Cyborg more than anything, and he tilted his head up in a silent prayer as well as exasperation, when what he saw on the ceiling startled him.

"Oh my gosh! Who painted _This_?"

"I did, now will you please get out." Danny said stopping his voice tired, but never looking back at Cyborg who tore his gaze away from the ceiling and made his way up the stairs following after Danny. As Cyborg entered the first floor, he realized just what had been all of those big solid shadows, book shelves. Once more, Cyborg found himself stunned by the beauty of the place. Sunlight steadily streaming in from the east, silently he made his way to the front, only to look back at Danny who was putting two books on one of the shelves, his face unreadable.

"Thanks man," He called sincerely, leaving before Danny could respond.

Never noticing the frozen surprise in those crystalline eyes.

* * *

><p>Beastboy tried calling Cyborg one more time.<p>

"Hello, Cy? Pick _up_! Come on Cy, pick up! I know you're there, your phone is built in your arm!"

Beastboy exclaimed, snapping the phone shut, glaring at nothing in general until Starfire appeared next to him holding a spoon filled with a grayish sticky pudding. She placed it in BB's mouth saying 'taste' and well, let's just say that even Starfire didn't like it. For on her home planet it was called the Pudding of Sadness and if she didn't like it, Beastboy definitely didn't.

"What is that?! Cream of toenails?" Beastboy choked, looking up at her from the floor. The pudding on the carpet as he held his throat, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"It is what the people of my planet eat when bad things happen." With this, she took a bite, her hair stood on end, and she shook her head, grimacing at the horrid flavor.

Starfire flew over to Raven next, who was adjusting the mainframe computer, the person who normally did wasn't there.

"Try, the displeasing taste will ease your troubled mind." Star explained extending the bowl to the sorceress.

Raven merely looked at Starfire with a blank expression on her face and violet eyes, her voice giving away nothing as she spoke.

"My mind is never troubled. People come, people go, it's pointless to be upset about Cyborg," at the mention of his name Raven's hair whipped around her face as she spoke causing all of the screens on the mainframe to crack, leaving Starfire speechless.

"What?" Raven asked confused.

Lastly, Starfire flew to Robin who was gazing out one of the glass panes overlooking the city, his normally expressive features stoic.

"Here Robin, you are in need of this most of all since…well," her eyes cast down at the remembrance of what Robin had done.

"I'm fine." Robin spoke, walking away from Starfire.

"Who knows, maybe we're better off without him," Robin added doubtfully, leaving Star floating in shock, her green eyes wide and confused. Is that what Robin truly meant? Suddenly, the Tamaranien found herself wishing for not-friend Danny's advice.

Robin knew he'd screwed up. As he struck the punching bag with all his strength, Robin kept remembering everything that was plaguing him. Who was Slade, who was the white haired teen, why did he believe himself to only be a Phantom? Was he a hero; or something worse? And worst of all, Robin couldn't shake the feeling that he and his team were slowly starting to drown, and the one person he could have shared this knowledge with, he'd made him quit. The punching bag was now on the ground, busted open, no longer hanging from its hook and as Robin stood there panting, he couldn't help but look over at the weight lift, which was last set to Cyborg's maximum strength. Robin had lost his best friend.

* * *

><p>Cyborg screwed up. He knew it the moment he'd quit. Something just hadn't felt right as he walked off and it wasn't from leaving Robin and the others behind. No, this was something deeper, something that he couldn't place. And it hurt. Now Cyborg found himself wandering the streets of Jump City aimlessly, no destination in mind. He paid no attention to the crowd, or the places, merely on walking. He didn't even know what time it was, only that it was getting late. It was then he looked up to the sky, to its colors as the sun began to set. Yet, they never even compared to the colors flowing across Danny's ceiling. The image, that hours later, was still vividly etched in his mind.<p>

It was the sunrise. He had been looking at a sunrise through glass that had gold to separate each window pane into a hexagon, _'he must really like that shape'_ Cyborg thought. Although he couldn't think of a reason why, but the sunrise had been amazing. Almost as if it were moving across the sky with the rise and fall of the ceiling. As it came up from the east surrounded by clouds, casting off rays of light that glimmered midnight blue, and rust set purple, and as the clouds continued to spiral out they were heading into the heart of the geometrical glass, its golden lines shinning bright until the sky looked as if the gates of Heaven itself were opening up to him and him alone. Casting out rays of white and yellow light, then slowly, the doors began to close, the sun beginning to set in the west, its rays turning to red and gold until only midnight blue remained, the clouds now thin waves as they reached towards the living room, the glass a shadowed gold. That had thrown Cyborg through the ringer. Here was a boy who dressed in pretty much all black, hated the Teen Titans, and yet could paint such a masterpiece, how? What were Cyborg, Robin, Raven, Starfire and Beastboy missing about this kid? The sun had set long ago and a park bench was looking oh so tempting, when he heard the sound of a car being thrown into a building.

Cy tore off through the night.

* * *

><p>The day had gone by slowly at Titan's Tower, everything reminding Robin about Cyborg. Doing the dishes, for it was his turn, to playing video games where Robin beat his best friends high score, only to have his name slammed down on top of Cyborg's, crushing it along with Robins heart. Until finally he went to his friends empty room, which was cast in pale blue light as he walked around, Robin found a picture of Cyborg having one of his monster hands on his head, the other hand waving a peace sign. Himself smiling as he waved his fist in the air, both grinning like only best friends could.<p>

"I'm sorry," Robin heard his voice whisper in the darkness. The alert alarm sounded off throughout the Tower signifying trouble. Robin quickly joined the rest of the group in the main area as they stared at the city map.

"Cinderblock strikes again?" Robin asked and was answered by Beastboy who turned to Robin, a look of concern on his face.

"You wish." It was in a chemical plant, hundreds of machines producing barrels of different kinds of toxins moving them along conveyer belts, where Plasmas stood picking up barrel after barrel drinking it down like water. Each time steadily getting bigger until Starfire blasted the barrel he currently was downing with one green starbolt.

"That stuff can't be good for you." Robin commented not bothering with their introductions, it now seemed pointless to do. So the Titans simply started attacking. But every time they attacked it never seemed to hurt the overgrown acid monster, for he would simply shift his mass, healing the wound over. Robin tried to attack it directly but only ended up getting stuck in its gooey mess.

"Come on, let me go you giant zit!" Robin yelled frustrated. Looking up into Plasmas's acid eyes, it screeched, throwing Robin off and into Beastboy. Both teens getting the horrible brown colored muck in their mouths, and both promptly spitting it back out.

"And I thought Star's pudding tasted bad!" Beastboy groaned trying not to hurl as Plasmas gave another ear piercing screech.

The video feed was catching the whole fight. Slade watching the Titans struggle to take down such a simple adversary. "Disappointing," Slade stated to his butler standing in the background, silent and unmoving, "with one Titan missing this is almost too easy. I was expecting more of a challenge." With this Slade looked over, his grey eye falling on Cinderblock who was holding what looked to be yellow construction equipment. "Cinderblock, begin phase three," Slade said turning back to watch.

The fight was not going well for the Titans, Starfire and Raven were drenched in muck, and Beastboy was running away from Plasmas, screaming that he wasn't on the menu. They needed a new plan and looking around Robin found one, activating his grapping hook he proceeded to wrap it around Plasmsas's form.

"Maybe the best way to take you down, is to tie you up!" Robin yelled and with this Beastboy slammed into the screaming monster. As he fell to the ground, Starfire and Raven immediately began bending steel beams to fit around his form and trap him.

"We did it!" Starfire exclaimed from high in the air.

"Good work, team," Robin said back.

"Yeah, didn't think we'd pull it off without…" Beastboy was abruptly cut short as Raven elbowed him hard in the shoulders glaring at him to shut up. Thankfully, Robin didn't hear Beastboy's last comment for he was getting another alert on his communicator.

"We finished just in time. Cinderblock has been spotted downtown, come on." He said getting ready to leave. But as they were heading out, all stopped when they heard a sickening squishing noise, and Plasmas let his form fall apart into five separate creatures. The battle wasn't over, and soon the Titans were forced to spilt up, each running deeper into the chemical plant. Starfire was being chased by the snake, her power managing to blast it away, but she soon found herself up against the head as its stubby legs carried it forward with remarkable speed, she soon was being overwhelmed. Beastboy was being attacked by a roach that used to be one of Plasmas's feet, its long tongue wrapping around him and pulling him down. Raven was attacked by a muddy brown octopus, as it avoided all of her attacks until it ended up in front of her.

Robin ran through the south corridor being chased by another roach like mud. It gave off a pig like snort, quickly gaining behind him until he reached a door, kicking it open he ran inside. But at the sudden change in light Robin didn't see the railing and soon he stumbled over the edge and onto the conveyor belt, boiling acid underneath him. The roach landed with a thud behind him, its face looking like the claw of a lobster. He took out his bo staff and began pelting it with attacks, only to have it snapped in the giant creature's teeth. Robin was running out of options and the conveyor belt was ending, the creature lunged at him. Robin took all of its weight as it tried to snap him in half like his staff, the line was ending and as Robin began to fall he smiled and doing a kick flip, managed to send the thing over first letting Robin grab hold of the edge of the belt. Relief flooded through him, but only for a second before he felt something clamp onto his foot causing him to scream out in pain. The creature wouldn't let go. The belt began to give under their weight and soon both Robin and the monster were falling towards the acid.

* * *

><p>Cyborg got there in time to watch Cinderblock tear up another street lamp and chunk it into a gathering pile of metal. Now this is what Cyborg needed, to dish out some good old fashioned butt kicking.<p>

"Yo, blockhead!" Cyborg called, blasting Cinderblock back a foot, who grunted out of annoyance rather than pain. Cyborg tried again but this time wasn't as lucky. Cinderblock punched him in the chest sending him back forty feet hitting the concrete, hard. The Titan quickly began to lose ground. His body tiring as Cinderblock kept coming at him, never stopping, without Robin and the others he had no time to stop and rest and as Cinderblock punched him again, Cyborg managed to hold his ground. Struggling to keep the rest of the fist from connecting to him. He felt his feet digging into the ground, sweat pouring down his face, he was going to lose. Where was Robin? At that moment a flash of green light appeared beside Cinderblock's face who received a round house kick and was sent into the nearby alley way. Cyborg collapsed on the ground gasping for air as he heard light footsteps walk over to him and pick him up off the ground. He was met with two very annoyed, glowing green eyes.

"Where is your team?" Phantom demanded.

"How should I know, I quit." Cyborg yelled, why was Phantom mad at him? Cyborg observed shaking the teen off, watching a look of shock cross the teens face. Before one bordering on pure hatred seemed to pour out of Phantom's entire being.

"You quit," Phantom deadpanned. Cyborg flinched at his tone of voice. "Why?" Phantom asked not caring that Cinderblock was getting up from where he was lying in the alleyway.

"M-Me and Robin got into this huge fight back at the prison the other night, when we'd failed to catch Cinderblock and so I quit," Cyborg said holding up his hands in surrender, feeling like a deer caught in the head lights.

"So you _q__ui__t!_" Phantom roared, at that Cinderblock charged again. But Cyborg didn't even have time to fire at him. For Phantom's hands glowed a bright liquid green, he aimed towards Cinderblock and fired, sending him down into the pavement, creating a small crater. Cyborg just stood there in awe, this was the first time he'd ever seen this kid attack, and he was powerful. Cyborg didn't have long though, for once Phantom was done he immediately was back in front of Cyborg, floating so he was eyelevel with him when he yelled,

"What gives you the right to quit? So what if you get in a fight? You screw up once, and call it quits. What kind of _Hero is that?" _Cyborg felt like he'd been slapped in the face, Phantom's voice echoing all around him, power surging through those vocal cords.

"You Titans aren't heroes," Phantom then added, landing on the ground with a soft thud of finality and began to walk away. Cyborg bristled with anger.

"What gives you the right to say we aren't? We help people. That's what we do! You know nothing about being us or being a hero!" His booming voice filling the streets, Phantom paused, and when he turned around Cyborg froze from the look on Phantom's face. For his two hollowed out green eyes held the knowledge that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

"No, you aren't. You're children reacting in childish ways, trying to play a game that you don't understand."

In that moment, Cyborg understood. He and Robin were acting like fools, not heroes, they had fought like children, and tonight Cyborg had almost paid the price.

"You're right, me quitting was childish and stupid. But just because I make a mistake doesn't mean that I won't stop fighting," Cyborg answered meeting Phantom's gaze head on, pure determination set in his jaw. He watched as shock briefly flitted through those solid eyes.

A low growl rumbled through the earth then, and both teens looked over to see Cinderblock rising off the ground, police sirens cutting through the air.

"Man, why can't he just stay down," Cyborg growled in annoyance, he needed to go home back to his friends. Cyborg jumped when he heard Phantom speak right behind him, gently floating off the ground.

"Get the construction equipment he came with. We'll tie him down from the feet up."

Quickly, Cyborg obeyed, rushing over to grab a big steel beam, him on one end, Phantom on the other, and as Cinderblock charged them once more, Cyborg swung the metal beam at him. He felt Phantom surge super heated ectoplasm into the metal beam turning it pure green. Cinderblock connected with it, the beam wrapped around him with ease. They repeated this process three more times until Cinderblock could no longer move the police arriving right as they finished.

"Thanks man, I couldn't have done it without you," Cyborg said a smile on his face even though he was still a little nervous around the floating teen whose eyes were in a faraway place.

"Don't thank me. I'm not the one whose friends lives are on the line," and with this Phantom disappeared.

Cyborg felt dread drop like a pit in his stomach and as a cop walked over his fears were confirmed, "Hey, where are the rest of the Teen Titans?"

"Don't you know? They're over at the chemical plant fighting some kind of acid monster." The man in the uniform said, Cyborg took off running using their tracking beckons to locate them. Running into the plant Cyborg noted that Star, BB, and Raven's dots were all located together, but Robin's wasn't. He was too far away…running down the south wing Cyborg followed the destruction all the way onto the conveyor belt, where he heard Robin scream out in pain. He raced forward allowing the belt to carry him twice as fast, throwing out his hand right as he saw Robin lose his grip on the belt wheel as it snapped, plunging him towards the acid.

* * *

><p>Robin felt the belt snap and he was falling, when he felt a mechanical arm grip his by the wrist and hoist him back onto the line, the creature melting down inside the sick bubbly acid. Cyborg and Robin stood on the belt. Robin catching his breath. He nearly died three times in five days, not a good sign. But Cyborg was back.<p>

"I still got the sonic, if you still got the boom." Cyborg said smugly, Robin looked to him and smirked, they were back in action. They were friends. The other Titans had managed to get the other four creatures back in one place;l. The head began laughing manically, as Robin and Cyborg emerged from the corridor. Cy with his sonic cannon and Robin with his blue exploding disk.

"Teen Titans, go!" They both called charging towards Plasmas. Robin throwing his exploding disk as Cyborg fired at it, aiming directly for Plasmas's head. It hit dead center in a brilliant flash of light and sonic energy knocking out Plasmas, revealing the human prisoner 38519. The Titans all staring down at him, he started snoring lightly as the Police arrived later and placed him back in his stasis chamber, preparing to leave, the Titans watched.

"Look uh, sorry about…" Robin tried. He never was good with apologies.

"Yeah," Cy said back.

"So, are we cool?" Robin asked. With this Cyborg turned to him and smiled at his pointy haired friend.

"Frosty," he said, they did a fist bump, all of the other Titans rejoiced at their making up. Before Beastboy mentioned Cinderblock and the fact that they still had to stop him. But Cyborg told them they didn't need to worry, as they noticed him being crane lifted into the prison, construction equipment wrapped around him. "Thought I'd bring you a present in case you were still mad," Cyborg said.

"Thanks. There's just one thing that's still bothering me…" Robin didn't notice as the other three teens inhaled suddenly, for fear of another fight. "Breaking into jail, using Plasmas to distract us, the whole plan seems to be a little too smart for Cinderblock."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Cyborg stated.

Robin smiled at his friend. "Someone must have been pulling the strings," Robin said pulling a Sherlock Holmes look.

"Well whoever they are, they're no match for the Teen Titans," Cyborg said smiling.

"You're right, let's go home, team." Robin said and with this the Titans headed home.

He watched the video one more time. Never in his wildest dreams would Slade have imagined himself stumbling on such a powerful being and the best part, he wasn't a hero. Slade could tell this white haired child had so much rage hidden behind those glowing green eyes.

"Interesting," He said as the gears nosily turned in the background.

"You're serious." Robin said. Every one of the Titans were sitting on the couch, back at the Tower, Cyborg recounting his meeting with Danny and also the white haired Phantom.

"I am. Rob, I've never seen that kind of power before. Phantom's…different." Everyone was silent at that, Cyborg had been telling them the story. The name Phantom seemed to stick to the white haired teen. After all, he certainly acted like a ghost.

"So, is he a friend Phantom, or a not-friend Phantom?" Starfire asked. At this Cyborg looked at her, worry on his face.

"I don't know Star. He did tell me you guys were in trouble."

"But he didn't try to help," came Raven's monotone voice, Cyborg gave a nod at that.

"Then what should we do?" Beastboy asked, the entire group looked towards Robin, who had remained very silent throughout the whole conversation.

"I think we should try and figure out who this Phantom is before we make any decisions. Cyborg, you said you stayed with Danny?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I think we need to go visit him tomorrow. Because for some reason, Raven can't read his emotions. I don't know if it's connected or not, but it's worth a shot," he said, all the Titans nodded, rising to go and get some well deserved rest. They had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

><p>Danny was tired. Not just physically, but mentally as well. He was still mightily pissed at Cyborg and his and Robin's childish antics. His dream was steadily getting worse, he accidentally lost control of his powers last night fighting Cinderblock due to his temper, and on top of that, teleporting took a lot out of him. So now he had a major headache as he was sitting behind the counter of his store while customers roamed around, as he tried doing his taxes while fighting off the desire to simply pass out. He had finished the last form when he noticed the black two stripped book sitting beside the register, he'd forgotten all about it. Which probably wasn't a good thing since Clockwork had given it to him, which meant some big bad evil was probably about to happen.<p>

Sighing, Danny picked up the book, ignoring the dull throb in between his forehead as he translated the Japanese characters to mean Nature_. 'Great this book is about Nature, something Sam would have...'_ Danny stopped right there. His heart screaming painfully as her very presence filled his mind. Danny slammed his eyes shut and focused on breathing until only her memory remained behind his eyelids. Slowly, he opened the book, breathing a sigh of relief that it was in English. As Danny began to read the opening lines he heard the small bell ring at the door and five people entered. Looking up, Danny felt like he was about to unleash his ghostly wail, for there stood none other than the Teen Titans themselves, and they were heading his way.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	5. Chapter 4:Natures Forces

_It's getting harder to fight..._

_"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more." - Madame Swetchine_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 4: Natures Forces

Danny wanted to scream. Well, he probably would have if his head didn't feel like it wanted to crack through his skull. As Danny observed the Titans walking through the doors, he could almost laugh at the looks on their faces as they took in his bookstore. He could barely make out Cyborg saying _'man, whoever made this place is a genius.'_ Well, he was half right. Danny had gotten the idea from his parents, who used this geometrical shape in a lot of the fractal codes they built to fit their ghost hunting equipment. Although to Danny, it was also a part of his memory in another way. Soon however, the Titans were swamped by the majority of his customers who had seen them come in, and no one was immune to the 'heroes' of Jump City. They were surrounded by goths, nerds, preps, and every other stereotype imaginable.

"Dude, where did all these people come from?" Beastboy freaked as he was surrounded by nature lovers.

"I do not know. Friends, please go back to the books of reading." Starfire said while trying to pull off all of the guys with hearts for eyes away from her.

Finally, after much persuading from Robin, he managed to break up the crowd. Raven's group left the quickest, choosing to slink back into the darkness. Cyborg's and Beastboy's group followed, heading over to the café to log on to the computers. While Starfire's guys all went upstairs to the comic book collection, and Robin's group merely dispersed among the store until finally they had a clear line to Danny, who currently was rubbing his head as if he had a headache.

"What?" Danny snapped looking up to meet the Titans with a glare.

"Not-friend Danny, we seek your assistance and knowledge," Starfire said not being able to hide her joy at seeing him again. Danny had to restrain himself from not slamming his head on the table. Was she always so cheerful?

"Fine, what can I do for you?" He asked running his left hand through his raven hair. As he did so, all of the Titans were shown the scar, although a normal person might play it off as a trick of light, for it looked to be so old that finally the pigment seemed to be returning. The Titans weren't fooled.

"Have you heard of someone called Phantom?" Robin asked getting straight to the point. He wanted to talk to his team about what they'd just seen and confirm it with Raven.

"As in, spirits and apparitions?" Danny asked, careful to keep his voice neutral and calm. The Titans all looked to each other, they hadn't thought of Phantom as a spirit, just a super powered teen like themselves.

"Yes," came Raven's monotone voice, as she lowered her hood, her violet eyes meeting Danny's blue. A surge of emotions crashed through him, slamming into his walls. Raven could almost hear it. She was standing right on the other side, if she could only reach over. It was gone. The water had calmed the instant Danny's eyes left hers, bringing Raven's mind out of the trance.

Danny tore his gaze away from Raven, she reminded him to much of Sam. Raven's eyes were only one shade darker and while Raven's skin was slightly grayer, where Sam's had been crystal. Both girls easily could have passed for sisters and that's what cut him so deeply, the shadow of Sam danced behind Raven. Danny forced himself to answer the question he'd been asked.

"The books are on the fifth shelf in front of the store, to the right by the couch," with this Danny began to stand. He needed some Advil, when all of the sudden he heard his name being called as a group of eight guys made their way downstairs, all of them reminding him of Sidney Poindexter.

"Danny, as the head of the Comic Geeks of Today, I demand that you buy these books for us," said a nerd dressed in high blue pants with a country boy shirt on, his pocket filled with several pens, his hair was flaming red and his freckles almost covered up the acne, almost. His name was Cole, and he was so focused on Danny, he never noticed the Teen Titans standing right behind him. But the other nerds did, and they were shocked speechless. Danny began rubbing his temples again. He really didn't have time for this.

"Look, I've told you once. If you can't get ten signatures I'm not buying those books. And if you even think of pestering the other customers again, I _will _let them send you to the hospital."

A blush formed on Coles face. "We have already decided to stay away from the…darker customers." He said and for the first time he looked away from Danny and noticed the Teen Titans. Instantly, his eyes widening to saucers.

"Oh my gosh, the Teen Titans! You guys are my heroes! Please you have to help us. We only need two more signatures for Danny to buy the books we want!" All of the other nerds jumped into action, surrounding the Titans once more. Some of them practically on their knees begging for their help, the Titans felt horribly confused.

"Um, what books do you guys want?" Beastboy asked, making sure to keep an eye on Danny, who was too busy rummaging through one of the drawers trying to locate the pain medicine to notice their predicament.

"We want him to get all fifty comic books of Mega Monkeys!" Cole said, Beastboy immediately yanked a pen right out of Coles pocket protector and signed the little piece of paper. Cyborg followed, but checked to make sure these nerds weren't simply trying to get their autographs.

"Yes!" All of the nerds yelled as the Titans watched them walk forward and slam down the book request form, now filled with ten signatures, on to the counter top. Danny, who had managed to find the Advil and take two pills, looked up when he had the contract practically thrown in his face.

"That's ten. When will they be in?" Cole asked smugly, looking down Danny did see in fact that yes, there were indeed ten signatures… the last two, he looked up and glared at Cyborg and Beastboy who were busy looking elsewhere, whistling a tuneless song.

"Fine. Give me a week and they should be in," all of the nerds rejoiced, along with Beastboy who was whooping at the fact that his favorite game was now a comic book. However the nerds quickly decided to celebrate elsewhere when they noticed several scary looking customers emerge from the shadows to glare. Danny gave a nod to them in appreciation before they slid back in between the book shelves as the nerds ran for the doors.

"Enjoy my bookstore," he said stiffly to the Titans, seating himself back behind the counter, picked up his book and began reading once more. Silently, the Titans headed to the spirit aisle looking for any clues as to who Phantom might be. But after a search they gave up. All of these books were about different spirits that inhabited the Earth, most legends and folklore. All of the apparition books only describing evil spirits, created out of violent deaths from humans. None of these books even came close to describing who Phantom was. Not finding anything, the Titans sat down on the couch, Robin and Raven merely choosing to stand, careful to make sure no one was listening Robin started.

"He doesn't just have one scar. There were others on his wrists and hands."

"Did he cause them himself?" Beastboy asked.

"No. Not-friend Danny wouldn't do something like that, he is to…strong," Starfire said not sure how to describe the look on Danny's face when he helped her at the party and with Blackfire.

"I agree with Starfire, his wounds are not self-inflicted," Raven said her monotone voice hiding the inner turmoil in her head.

"You sensed something?" Robin asked anxiously.

"Not really. When we entered the store I felt a wave of tiredness surrounding him, but no will to end. His emotions are there, it's simply impossible for me to delve deeper past the wall he's created, but they're so… powerful."

All of the Titans merely sat there and stared at Raven. How could a normal teenager have that kind of power? Robin, getting frustrated at the fact they had learned nothing, decided that the team should head home, before they pissed off Danny even more.

"I'm going to stay," Raven said, in actuality she really did like his bookstore, and it was also a chance to observe Danny some more.

"Okay Raven, see you back at the Tower," Robin waved and with this the Titans left. Starfire giving one last look back to her friend and also her not-friend Danny.

For a few minutes Raven simply stood there, letting the sunshine flitter in through the glass window and warm her back. Turning, she made her way down the rows of books, the store continuing to grow on her. She paused when she came to the poetry at the back of the store. When looking at the titles, she noticed that many of these books possibly could be originals, or very good copies. She walked along the aisle, her fingers trailing across the chestnut wood, gazing at the different poems all in different languages. Some even appearing to be from other planets, _'Where did he get all of these books?'_ Raven thought, stopping and picking up the first book within reach. It appeared to be from the seventeenth century. Its red binding flowering into a single gold letter D and opening the book to the first yellowing page Raven read the title _The Complete Works of John Donne 1572-1631_edited by Gerald W. Daniels, _'odd name for an editor'_ Raven thought. But none the less she sat herself down in a nearby chair and began to read.

"_For the first twenty years, since yesterday,_

_I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away;_

_For forty more I fed on favours past,_

_And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last;_

_Tears drown'd one hundred, and sighs blew out two;_

_A thousand, I did neither think nor do,_

_Or not divide, all being one thought of you;_

_Or in a thousand more, forgot that too._

_ Yet call not this long life; but think that I_

_ Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?"_

Raven nearly didn't finish the poem, to her it seemed pointless. Why would a man sit there and say he had lived twenty-four thousand years when his love had only been gone one day? He acted so childish, yet the last two lines kept haunting her. Taken in context they sounded humorous and exaggerated but, they were also the only two lines that didn't fit the style from the rest of the stanza. As if the two lines were meant to be read separate from the whole work, and when Raven looked at the lines again her heart hammered beneath her breast. Phantom flashing through her mind, his hollow green eyes staring back at her. Raven shut the book when she heard Danny make an announcement standing up behind the counter.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon, so I'm closing up."

In any other store Raven would have found this odd. But looking around she understood, as many of the darker customers slinked out, the techno geeks giving vigorous thank you's for the fact that Danny probably saved their 'babies' lives. Looking back down at the book Raven noticed the next poem was titled _A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning _she wanted to stay and read it, but the store was nearly empty now. Standing, Raven decided to ask if she could simply buy the book. Silently, she headed over to Danny who was turning the open sign to closed, the rumble of thunder passing over head.

"Is this book for sale?" She asked. Danny met her eyes. For a second, waves crashed inside his heart before he looked down to the book Raven held in her arms.

"No. You're holding the original," he stated.

"I see," Raven said looking down at it as well, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She didn't even know why she wanted this book. She simply did. Danny watched as Raven turned to go put it back on its shelf, her violet eyes failing to hide the confusion and hurt underneath them. Danny let out a sigh. He was so going to regret doing this.

"Look, you can take it with you until I get a copy of the book alright, you just can't buy this one," he said nervously rubbing the back of his neck for bending one of his own rules.

Raven turned and faced him again, shocked by him allowing her to borrow one of his books. Even if it did sound like he'd taken a punch to the face to tell her this, but she couldn't help the small smile that passed her lips.

"Thank you, I will hold onto this until you have the copy for me," her normal monotone voice back in place. Danny merely nodded, seeming to debate rather or not he should resend his offer. Raven made sure to leave before he could change his mind. She walked for about half a block, before the first tear drops of rain fall on her face and looking up at the dark cloudy sky, she became nothing more than a shadow of a bird and flew home back into her room at Titan's Tower to drop off her book. The rain coming swiftly now. Deciding that she should let her team know that she was home, Raven left for the main area until she ran into Beastboy, who was holding a big pink balloon with a devilish smile on his face.

"What are you doing?" She asked, satisfied when Beastboy let out a girlish scream, desperately trying not to drop the liquid filled balloon onto the ground. Managing to catch it in nick of time, he turned to Raven who was looking at his giant rubber band sling shot with blank curiosity on her face before glaring.

"Please tell me this isn't another ridiculous prank," she said meeting his eyes, in which Beastboy instantly smiled smugly at his geniusness.

"Okay, it's not a ridiculous prank. It's a brilliant one. Ha!" He said while Raven rolled her eyes.

"Okay check it out, remember how Cyborg put red dye in my shampoo and I turned brown for two days…" Raven remembered. She and the team had laughed all the way through next week at that.

"Well sister, it's payback time!" Beastboy exclaimed slamming his hands together in anticipation.

"I give you, the Beastboy Insta-Lube 9000! See, when chrome dome steps around the corner: his foot tugs the string, the string trips the lever, the lever releases the mother of all rubber bands, which sends a balloon load of motor oil flying right at him and _wham!_ Pretty clever huh?" Beastboy said now looking to Raven who looked at his silly blueprint which he had taken out.

"You're a genius," she stated mentally adding _'in your own mind.'_

"It's just a little clean, dirty good fun," he said in return, when they heard a door opening and footsteps echoing down the hall.

"Here he comes!" Beastboy whispered excitedly, quickly grabbing Raven and dragging her back around the corner, kneeling so that they could watch the play by play.

"I do not think…" Raven tried to say as Beastboy peeked around the corner and shushed her.

"But what if…" She tried again but failing.

"Why are we hiding?" Came another whisper behind both the Titans, who Beastboy immediately shushed as well. That is until Beastboy realized that the new whispering person was a smiling Cyborg.

"Ahh! Cyborg? You can't be Cyborg!" BB yelled as he and Raven both looked at Cy's very large form and confused face.

"I can't?"

"If you're you then who's…" Beastboy said pointing around the corner to where a tall, feminine figure rounded the corner, with purple boots that tripped the string, which tripped the lever that released the mother of all motor oil balloons, right into Starfire's face. Now in his defense, Beastboy did try to stop it, yelling out a dramatic _'no'_ right as the brown smelling liquid connected with Star's face, sending her crashing onto the floor.

"Starfire!" BB yelled as the other two Titans emerged from around the corner.

"You okay?" Cyborg asked as Starfire opened her eyes, rubbing the offending liquid away, not understanding why her friends would attack her so.

"This is punishment? I did something wrong?" She asked. At this, Raven and Cyborg plastered on their best, _we-screwed-up-but-how-do-we-make-her-understand-this,_ smiles.

"You didn't, he did," Raven clarified, pointing to Beastboy who smiled sheepishly as he walked over to Starfire trying desperately to explain. Cy and Rae weren't amused and Starfire was getting very angry at his trying to crack a joke about this screw up.

"On my planet we have a name to those do such terrible things. You are uh, uh, _Glorbag Barblernelck!" _And with this she proceeded to get the offending goo out of her face and hair.

"I'm a what bag?" Beastboy asked backing right into Cyborg looking down at the little grass stain who could be such an idiot at times.

"You heard the lady." He said seriously.

"You are such a Glorbag." Raven agreed. Star's eyes now an electric green, looking ready to throw a star-bolt right at BB's face.

"Come on guys, can't anyone take a joke?" He said right as a clash of thunder roared in the sky, shaking the very Tower followed by a brilliant flash of lightening that lit up the entire hallway in blinding white light, right as Robin emerged from the shadows.

"Titans, trouble!"

And with this they left.

* * *

><p>The storm was getting worse. Danny could hear it all the way from his Lab down in the basement. When a crash of thunder killed the power, Danny stopped what he was doing and headed into the kitchen for a flashlight. As he bent down to retrieve it from the cabinet by the phone he heard another crash. Only this sounded like glass being thrown in. Danny ran up the stairs. Where he noticed two things: one, the glass hadn't been shattered, the door violently shaking on its hinges as the wind and rain pelted into his store soaking the carpet. The second happened when he headed to go close and relock the door and his bare feet sank into small puddles on the carpet, roughly the size of thirteen combat boots.<p>

Danny felt the blood run out of his face, heart constricting in his chest, adrenaline soared through his veins. He turned off the flashlight and closed the door, locking the deadbolt after giving it a hard push. Taking one step back from the door, water running through his toes, closing his eyes, he listened to the darkness. Muscles coiling for battle, back to the store, lightening dancing across his features. The rain continued hammering the city and in another flash of lightening a man appeared behind Danny ready to attack. His arm about to make contact to the base of the unmoving teen's neck. He felt the slice cut through the air, and quickly Danny side stepped it. His right arm coming up to redirect the attack. Grabbing the man's armored forearm, and with all his strength Danny threw him into the glass, which gave resounding vibrations from both the man and thunder. The fight began.

* * *

><p>Slade had been monitoring Titan's Tower all day, thinking of ways to get what he wanted in the most painful and cruelest of ways. So when he saw the Titans all leave their Tower, his heart leapt in joy as ideas and plans formulated in his mind. He watched them enter a bookstore, plainly called Bookstore, from hacking into the city's police security cameras on the street. <em>'God bless Big Brother.'<em> Slade thought.

Unfortunately, the bookstore didn't have any cameras inside that Slade could hack, and he didn't like that. No storeowner in their right mind wouldn't put a camera in place, unless if they had something to hide. Slade sat in silence till thirty minutes later, four of the Titans emerged and left. He waited another hour for the sorceress to leave, a red carved book held between her arms. He zoomed in, that was an original. Slade began hunting through the city's archives, trying to find who owned that store. The search only turned up one piece of paper. That the store had been bought under the name Danny, age fifteen on August 25, 2010 with the help of Vlad Masters who was his legal adoptive guardian.

Vlad. That billon dollar man had cost Slade several stock holdings when he'd bought all of the businesses. So why had he helped this kid buy a store? When Vlad never claimed to have any kids at all. Another mystery, Slade felt his mouth tug up into an evil smirk, he loved a good chase. And with this Slade set off to the store, the rain pouring now.

The place was closed when he got there, even though it was only seven o'clock. However, with the darkened sky and rain it felt more like midnight. This was going to be easy. Slade picked the lock with ease, not worrying about if there was a security system, if there wasn't even a camera. He prepared to open the door when the wind howled and did it for him. Entering the pitch black store, he decided to leave it open. The violence of screaming metal sending chills of pleasure down his spine. Slade was impressed at the design of the place, the lightening giving brief glimpses at its layout. It seemed to go on forever. The chestnut shelves surrounding him, a small oak counter at the back, behind it a small door which probably led to a closet or backroom. On the left a small café, and a set of stairs leading up to the second floor, which looking up Slade could see the middle had been cut out into a hexagon with beautifully carved chestnut railing.

He had only walked about half-way when he heard the light padding of feet, followed by the click of a lock. Slade disappeared behind the many shelves and watched as a boy with raven hair, stepped out from the small closet door, dressed in a short gray shirt with dark blue jeans, holding a flashlight. He followed as the teen made his way towards the door, pausing just for a second as his bare feet stepped into a puddle on the thick red carpet. _Smart_ _child_.

The boy knew he was here. Slade observed, watching as the teen turned off the flashlight he was holding. Blending almost into the shadows if he hadn't still been making his way towards the door and instead of leaving, he shut it, locking himself and Slade inside. _'The kid has guts'_ Slade thought watching the child take one step back from the door, his breathing shallow, probably out of fear. Slade decided to kill him quickly. He never noticed the tensing of muscles beneath Danny's shirt and when he did, it was too late.

His back connected with the glass doors first, his metal armor sending shockwaves of pain down his spine. Slade quickly recovered, it would take more than glass to take him down. He stood facing the teen, what was his name again? Oh, right,

"Danny. Come now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Slade asked, slowly walking forward like a predator stalking his prey. Only the prey wasn't backing down.

"Yes, now why are you here?" Danny said taking a battle stance, slowly beginning to circle. Slade watched Danny's movements, this kid was a fighter. _'Let's see how good,'_ He thought.

"I'm here to get a book."

And with this he lunged at Danny, managing to get a hit in before Danny spun off into the darkness of the Victorian styled store. _'He's using the field to his advantage, just like Robin.' _Slade thought moving into the shelves, going into the darkest part of the store. Slade began to feel his stomach tighten. His eye not able to see his hand two inches from his face. He began trailing his fingers along the book shelf for support, listening to the slightest of movements.

* * *

><p>Danny barely escaped. The man had punched him in the face disorienting him, black fogginess setting around the corners of his vision. If it hadn't been for the fact that he designed this place and knew it by heart Danny was pretty positive he wouldn't have gotten away. So now, here he sat on the ledge, feet hanging over the railing as he tried to calm his breathing.<p>

His head giving painful throbs every time he tried to take deep breaths, the headache from the morning giving him painful reminders that it was still present. Danny watched the first floor as another flash illuminated a shadow making its way down the back aisle, Danny stood quiet as a cat and walked on top of the railing preparing to strike. The man wouldn't be so lucky this time.

And in the next flash he was plunging downwards, right as the man looked up his eye going wide in surprise, Danny's foot connected with his chest sending him flying into the counter top. Danny did a roll letting the carpet absorb the shock. Ignoring the fact that by doing so his stomach flip flopped, making him want to hurl. Damn, he was never teleporting again.

* * *

><p>The kid was a lot harder to kill than Slade expected. And he would have been impressed if Danny's attacks weren't sending him to the front door. In fact, Slade would love to have him as an apprentice, but there was something feral in Danny's eyes. It was as if they could see through Slade's very soul and at the same time, spoke volumes about Danny himself. This kid would never bend to Slade, he was to...ferocious. And at the same time so very weak. It told Slade the kid wouldn't last much longer. Something was eating Danny alive. But he wouldn't die or maybe he was already dead inside. Therefore, Slade would never be able to control him. Thunder cracked the same time Danny sent Slade crashing through the glass and into the street, ice blue eyes blazing in the darkness.<p>

Danny followed out onto the concrete. Never registering the glass on the ground slicing through his feet, or the cold rain which was pounding him to the bones. No, he was only focused on the man who had cruelty for eyes. He began coiling, the rain morphing around his body, showing the raw power gathering inside. Slade stood, preparing to defend himself, when out of the storm two teens came flying past them: one, with pale yellow skin and spiky blonde hair, dressed in gold samurai armor, the second, with fare blue skin with deep blue hair partly showing under his armor that he was dressed in, which was deep blue samurai gear. They flew past them, taking the rain along as well, until only the overhanging black clouds remained concealing the night sky. Danny managed to jump out of the way before he was slammed into by the fast yellow one riding on electricity, _'Geez, what is with stupid superheroes almost flying into me?'_ Danny huffed in mild annoyance when the spiky kid turned and yelled at him.

"Hey, watch where you're going! You almost hit me!" And with this both teens disappeared leaving Danny standing there, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. _'__D__id he really just say that__?'_ At this, Danny remembered he still had a fight to deal with but turning back to the street the man was long gone.

"Damn." He muttered.

Carefully making his way back to the store before realizing he'd locked the door to keep the evil eyed guy inside. Sighing, Danny looked around to make sure no one was there before he phased himself through the glass and floated back down into his house. Making sure to hit the emergency alarm button, which dropped heavy steel bars down in front of the door and windows, one of which Danny had shattered. He was going to have some paperwork at that.

It didn't take long for Danny to pull the broken glass shards out of his feet. Most he simply pulled out with tweezers. The blood immediately clotting, preventing any of it from getting on the bathroom floor. Pulling on his combat boots, ignoring the slight sting his wounds gave him from being aggravated by his socks, Danny made his way back up the stairs into his store, flipping on the lights to survey the damage he caused.

* * *

><p>Beastboy and Starfire had been searching about thirty minutes for Thunder and Lightning, but to no avail. They only could follow the destruction the two had caused all in the name of <em>'fun'.<em> Beastboy had cringed at that, those two thought that this was fun. And when he tried to explain that to Thunder, he only ended up getting zapped by Lightning. Plus, it didn't help that Starfire still wasn't talking to him.

"Beastboy," Starfire called as she flew next to him a good ten feet away. He instantly transformed and hit the ground, looking at her with big hopeful puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, please tell me you've forgiven me." He said desperate to have his friend back. She merely humped at this, turned and pointed to Danny's bookstore, glass littering the sidewalk.

"I wish to make sure not-friend Danny is unharmed from the shattering of glass," and with this, she made her way over to the store, Beastboy's ears drooping. Standing outside the door, they knocked and waited for Danny as he walked up to it, sighed and pulled it open, allowing them to enter.

"What?" He said his head giving a painful throb.

"Not-friend Danny, are you unharmed? We saw the glass and the broken window," Star stated her eyes filled with concern for Danny. It looked like a small black bruise was forming a crescent shaped moon high on his cheek bone. Beastboy noticed that his clothes were damp and his semi messy hair was plastered to his face, sticking up at odd angles. Danny brushed it out of his eyes before he answered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The glass shattered from the storm caused by those two teens."

Starfire and Beastboy froze, before Star temporarily met BB's eyes, forgetting that she was still mad at him.

"You have seen them? Please, which way did they go, we need to stop them." She explained. Danny looked at her for a second before all three exited the store. Danny pointing down the street.

"They went down five blocks and turned left, heading into the arts district. But why are you chasing after those other heroes? Besides stopping them from reckless flying," Danny asked, at this Starfire's eyes darkened.

"We were fighting them on the bridge. They were destroying it. They are not heroes," And with this she flew off. Beastboy grimaced, he may not be smart, but those two weren't evil, they merely didn't understand.

"Is that what you believe as well?" Danny asked as he looked down at BB. For some reason the green guy wasn't smiling, probably because Starfire wasn't happy, and that set Danny's nerves on edge.

"What? I don't know. They say they're doing this _'cause it's fun._ But their fun nearly destroyed the bridge." And with that Beastboy transformed and flew off to go catch up with Starfire. Leaving Danny there to process what he'd meant. Danny chased after them, rage burning in his chest.

Starfire and Beastboy landed at the main building in the arts district and walked up to the once beautiful marble stone slabs that had been knocked down like domino tiles on one side of the small glittering pool. As Starfire bent down to inspect the burn marks, Beastboy once again tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, either they were just here, or this is the ugliest modern art I've ever seen," he said pointing to the destroyed rubble. Star merely stood, turning her back away from Beastboy.

"You are not funny. You are a glorbag barblernleck," she said walking away.

"Come on Star, you can't stay mad forever. What? Do I have to do the face? You know you can't resist the face," he said transforming into a cute little green tabby kitten, with big adorable eyes and a cute pink nose, mewing softly as Starfire looked down at him.

"Humph," was her only reply.

"She resisted the Face?!" Beastboy said shocked, panic filling his heart. He desperately ran up to her as she was observing a burnt piece of metal that at one time held a giant marble stone world.

"Just talk to me Star! Come on, this is no fun," he said now begging on his knees.

"Wrong again, green one!" Came a nasally voice as Lightning and Thunder emerged from the air, chasing after the two Titans. Thunder went after Starfire as she dodged his sonic blue attacks, managing to get behind him and fire one of her star-bolts. In a way, it was sort of like the game of tag, only deadlier. Lightning firing at Beastboy, who turned into a rabbit to get away, then a mouse, the yellow teen kept attacking.

"Ha! Your animal forms cannot protect you forever!" Lightning said, that is until he was hit by a green Ox sending his tall, lanky form crashing into the ground.

Star and Thunder where having a battle of power as they both struggled to hit the other with their attacks. Starfire screamed out in a burst of strength as her star-bolt defeated Thunder, sending his massive blue form back onto the steps of the art building. She then turned to Lightning and began again.

Beastboy charged at Thunder, head butting him into the wall in bear form. This time he prayed Lightning wouldn't interfere.

"I don't want to hurt you. And I don't think you want to hurt me," he said trying to figure out who these two brothers were.

"Pain does not amuse us," Thunder answered, his deep voice and eyes confused at what the green changeling was implying.

"Could've fooled me. Keep playing rough and innocent people will get hurt!" Beastboy yelled as he gripped the armor on Thunder's shoulders tighter.

So intent were the teens, that they never noticed a tall thin man with a long white beard and hair, dressed in a red robe and black clothing appear. He looked to be of Asian descent. Smiling, the man took out a small brown box supported by three legs. It looked like a camera box and opening the lid, he directed a red laser that powered up as he turned the handle, sending a powerful stream of energy through the remaining stone walls, destroying them all as it went. The rocks came falling down. Right where Star was, her electric green eyes growing wide in surprise until she screamed as the rocks came down on top of her.

"Star!" Was all Beastboy choked out as he watched his friend get buried, hidden behind smoke. He never even thought where the attack came from. But the two teens did and they were shocked by the man's power.

"Your gifts are your own. Who are they to tell you how to use them?" Came a mysterious voice in the darkness.

"And who are you that commands such power?" Lightning asked.

"Show yourself!" He screamed.

"As you wish." And with this, the man emerged from the smoke, his straw hat showing only one eye.

"I am but a humble, old man. Whose power is drawn from nature, like your own. Come with me and sow as much destruction as you please," he smiled as Lightning exclaimed his happiness at the thought of more fun. But Thunder stopped him.

"Will we harm anyone?" Thunder asked, his brother looked to him like he was crazy.

"What? The green one has poisoned your mind!" Lightning said, but his brother still wasn't convinced.

"This destruction, will we harm the innocent?" Thunder tried again as he and Lightning looked back to the strange man.

"Would it matter if you did? You are unique, gifted, better. Why should anything interfere with your enjoyment? I am going, follow if you wish," the man said as he left.

"Come brother, and leave your foolish thoughts behind," Lightning ordered as he too turned and left with the man. Thunder gave one last look back before he too turned and followed.

* * *

><p>Danny almost didn't make it. He had run five blocks when he heard the sounds of battle. But as he watched he noticed the two different colored teens, merely looking as if they were having fun. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard Beastboy try and tell Thunder of the consequences if he kept playing this game. Beastboy almost had him when Danny heard the sound of energy powering up and looking, saw a strange old man fire a red beam of energy at the marble walls. Danny transformed right as the energy struck the first wall. He turned intangible when he heard Starfire scream, and he teleported when he realized he wouldn't make it.<p>

Starfire felt someone holding her. And her first thought was of Robin, but he wasn't here. Slowly, she lifted her head from the strange person's shoulder to see that Phantom was the one who had saved her. Only he wasn't, it was as if he were clear. A shimmering white aura surrounding him, and looking at herself Starfire noticed that she too was the same clear white. She tried to pull away, but immediately stopped when Phantom give a hiss of pain.

"Don't. I won't be able to keep this up much longer, especially if you get to far away," Phantom said looking at her. His eyes a soul piercing green meeting Star's temporary clear ones. She nodded, not wanting to hurt him anymore. Lowering her head back down onto his shoulder, she felt him shift slightly, placing one arm between her shoulder blades, the other on the small of her back, before flying her up and out of the jagged pile of rocks. The second they were out Starfire felt his power leave, and both she and Phantom became visible. It was then, that Starfire realized, she was virtually 'hugging' Phantom, and felt a red hot blush dance across her face. Remembering the entire conversation her and Raven had about how hot Phantom was, when they had first seen him standing in the desert after her sister's arrest.

The blush disappeared however when she felt herself taking most of his weight as he began to collapse. Gripping onto him, Starfire helped Phantom find his way to the ground without gravity doing it for him. The ghost teen let out a small sigh as he leaned back on the fallen rocks, sending her a smile of appreciation. Starfire smiled as well, but was torn away when she heard Beastboy cry out her name. Looking back down at Phantom who gave her a nod that he was fine, ushering her to go, his eyes concerned for Beastboy. And with this, she flew up into the air landing lightly behind Beastboy as he frantically dug through the rocks.

"Come on Star, give me a sign here! You have to be alright, okay? 'Cause I… it was just a joke, you know back at the Tower. And I'm sorry. I never said it, but I'm really, _really_ sorry. It was supposed to be funny and you could've been hurt and I'm a total glorbag," Beastboy whispered his shoulders beginning to shake from the tears that threatened to spill over. Starfire, who had been shocked at Beastboy's statement shook herself out of the trance and walked closer to Beastboy. A smile spreading across her lips at her friend's apology. Beastboy turned when he felt a shadow move into his vision and saw that it was Starfire. Instantly he smiled and screamed out her name in pure joy, leaping into her arms as the adorable kitten she loved, causing her to laugh.

"I am glad that you are unharmed as well," she said, Beastboy transforming back into his human form, down on his knees as he looked up to Starfire.

"I am sooooo sorry. You gotta forgive me," He begged, with this she placed her hands on his shoulders as he stood up.

"I already have. Now those evil brothers must be made to apologize," she stated.

"I don't think they are evil." Beastboy said his thoughts were answered when Phantom emerged from around the corner looking a little exhausted but unharmed.

"They're not. But they're about to do something they'll most likely regret."

With this, Starfire looked up, meeting Phantom's gaze as Beastboy gave a girlish shriek, wildly turning and pointing his finger right in Danny's face.

"What the…how long have you been here?" BB yelled, Danny gave him a mischievous smile.

"Long enough. What did you do to Star back at Titan's Tower?" He asked, Beastboy 'eeped', but Phantom didn't pursue the question as he turned his gaze to the night sky.

"We need to go," he said, and with this he flew off. Starfire and Beastboy following behind him.

* * *

><p>Thunder and Lightning were not happy. The strange man had promised them fun destruction, but he had taken them to a field in the forest north of Jump City. And in the field were simple firing targets, with sticks holding them up, some protruding out of the bags to form arms and weird pale symbols painted onto the bags themselves.<p>

"Sticks and leaves? Is this a joke?! There is no fun in blasting such frail targets!" Lightning said frustrated at the man.

"Are you certain young master? Try, you may like what you see," the strange man stated, pointing to one of the nearby targets. Giving a growl of annoyance, Lightning did as he was told, letting his gold electricity flow free and strike. The target went up in a blaze of fire, dancing around the symbol, burning the sticks inside. Lightning jumped in surprise at the colorful display.

"Dancing lights. Pleasing," He said his nasally voice filled with glee, his face one of amusement.

"Let Thunder try his hand," Thunder exclaimed walking forward, blue energy condensing in his giant palm as he unleashed sound itself. When it hit the target, it gave a resounding boom and exploded into fire.

"Wondrous noise," Thunder boomed.

"See brother, there is no harm in our fun," Lightning said as he stood by Thunder's side gazing up at him. With this the strange man walked forward.

"And there is so much fun to be had." With this both brothers soared off the ground, riding on golden electricity and dark blue clouds striking every target in sight. Until none were left, leaving them wanting more.

"More targets old one," Lightning demanded.

"Yes, please give us more," Thunder said turning to look at the strange one-eyed man who gave a wicked smirk.

"That won't be necessary. You've done quite enough," he said, both brothers now stared at him in confusion. They watched him pull a circular tablet out with a final symbol painted on it and throwing it up into the center of the sky, the device being pulled by some unknown force. It turned red, as it gathered energy around itself before firing at all thirty-nine burning totem poles. Bringing them together, forming a giant flaming Beast, taller than the trees. This rose from the ashes at the man's command.

"Burn fire. _Burn It All_." The man screamed with this the Beast began to move, but was stopped when six people stood on the ground below.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you, play with fire and you're going to get burned," Robin said looking up at the flaming Beast that sent a wave of red at them. All of them dodged, Danny choosing to not comment on the lame witty retort. As he flew into the clouds, letting the wind drown out his pounding headache. Teleporting to save Starfire hadn't been smart, he nearly failed, and to top it off he was still the fighting blackness that surrounded his vision. It was official, he definitely wasn't using that power ever again. It had too many side effects. Danny watched as the Beast made its way towards the city. Fire now spreading into the trees and soil, making it hard to see the man standing on the hill smiling, along with the two brothers.

"Good, very good," the man said.

"Brother, what've we done?" Thunder said looking to Lightning.

* * *

><p>The Titans focused on stopping the Beast. Robin yelling for them to go. He threw smoke bombs down to confuse the Beast as Raven ripped up the nearby trees to stop the fire from spreading. Beastboy and Starfire joining in to help, as Cyborg slammed his sonic cannon into the ground covering the thing in wet dirt, extinguishing the flames, stopping the Beast.<p>

"Is he out?" Beastboy asked, his question answered by the Beast's roaring voice. New flames licking up its disfigured body.

"Had to ask," Raven said.

The Beast was growing more powerful by the second, his fury increasing at these foolish humans that stood in his way. It was then that Robin noticed the man standing on the hill next to Thunder and Lightning looking down at the entire fight.

"Go young masters, fire is your creation, they have no right to destroy your fun," he ordered, Lightning quickly agreed.

"Yes, we must fight!" He said, Thunder didn't agree.

"But brother…"

"Do not annoy me with your foolish concerns. Come!" Lightning snapped and with this Thunder followed.

As soon as the brothers were gone Danny attacked by breaking the staff in two, the man not seeming to be surprised by his appearance.

"Phantom, we meet at last," his grey eye smirking. Danny hesitated, _'he knew of him',_ but it didn't last long, for the old man attacked.

Robin made his way up the burning hill, he needed to get there. Phantom hadn't helped them fight the Beast. But Robin knew he was at the top of the hill, and he would need help. Starfire told them on the communicators that Phantom had saved her, although she didn't go into details but she did say he was weakened. And now he was here still fighting, he would need help.

The Beast was getting closer to the city. The Titans were losing ground fast. Raven striking the creature with her black magic extinguishing it once more. Only it didn't die. The cracks in its skin formed again and fire spread out from its very core, blowing all of the Titans back. As they tried to get up, they were struck by Lightning, sending them back down to the ground once more. Lightning approaching Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven preparing to strike again. Thunder however was in a standoff with Beastboy, who growled at him in his tiger form.

"Stand aside green one," Thunder demanded Beastboy gave another roar. Both charged at one another, Thunder tapping into the primal instinct inside Beastboy, given to him from Nature itself.

"I do not wish to do harm to you," Thunder said, shadow violet-blue mist swirling around him, and Beastboy who gazed at Thunder through his tiger eyes.

"But you want to destroy homes and innocent lives?" He retorted.

"No," Thunder said back.

"Then what're you fighting for?" Beastboy asked.

"My brother and I, the old says we are unique, gifted… better," Thunder said trying to make it sound like a just answer.

"Gifts don't make you better. Only different, it's how you use them that counts."

After that, Thunder left.

* * *

><p>Danny had been holding his own pretty well, especially since he wasn't even attacking. Something about this man's fighting style reminded him of someone. The man backed Danny up into a tree. His back slamming into its bark, Robin racing towards them.<p>

"Tell me child, have you let someone die before?" The man asked and it was then that Danny knew. He was the man from the store, the one with the cruel grey eye.

"No!" Danny screamed, firing blindly. Lashing out with a green ecto-blast right into the man's chest. Robin was next to Danny in a second, who stood there gasping for air.

"Are you o.k.?" Robin asked. Phantom didn't even look at him. He just stood there, watching the strange man with shocked eyes as he stood up from the blast. The man gave a merciless smile that sent chills down Robin's spine.

"I see you have. Did you fail? Like you're about to do now."

With this both Danny and Robin turned toward the giant flaming Beast as it moved to the last forest floor, the houses a mile away. Phantom spun, facing the man again. When he noticed the broken staff laying in the dirt, a gold symbol at the top, the same that was on the Beast. Danny quickly turned meeting Robin's gaze, understanding dawning on his features.

"Go," Robin said and with that Phantom flew off at top speed. Leaving Robin alone with the man, raging fire at their feet.

"Robin, what a pleasant surprise."

"Who are you?" Robin asked. The man attacked.

Lightning had reached the three Titans collapsed on the ground.

"It seems your power has its limits. But mine has none," Lightning said, his hand coursing with gold electricity. As he raised his arms to strike, he was blown back by powerful attack of blue thunder. Anger flared through Lightning. His brother betrayed him.

"You betray me?" Lightening accused.

"We have done wrong, my brother, our fun must stop," Thunder growled his voice giving no room for argument.

"No one commands lightening. Not even thunder!" Lightning yelled as he attacked his brother.

The Beast was almost at the bottom of the hill as the Titans watched helplessly.

"Those houses go, the whole city could go. We gotta stop the fire!" Cyborg yelled.

"How?" Raven asked.

"Any way we can." Cyborg replied and with this they took off, running towards the outskirts of the city. Lightning flew at Thunder, blasting him back into a boulder that had yet to be claimed by the fire. As he sank onto the forest floor, his brother approached him ready to attack again, when Thunder met Lightning's eyes.

"Tell me, brother, are we still having fun?" He asked. Lightning didn't attack, his electricity fizzling out.

"No." He realized.

"Observe," Thunder said as they watched the Beast make its way to the road. The Titans doing everything to stop it. Shooting water and holding back the fire with Raven's power. But what shocked Lightning the most was the white haired teen who flew straight at the Beast's head. His leg connecting to the fire as he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, making the Beast stumble backwards a few paces. Both brothers stared in shock as well as the Titans. And Lightning watched the teen do it again, he realized that Thunder had been right all along.

"They also have gifts. But they use them for good, while we waste ours on dangerous fun. If we are so special brother, let us act special. We must help," Thunder stated as Lightning watched the same teen kick the Beast once more. If only back to the same place he'd been not seconds before.

"But how?" Lightning asked and with this both brothers looked to the only people they knew could help, the Titans.

* * *

><p>The Teen Titans couldn't believe their eyes. Phantom was knocking the Beast back, if only a few feet, but his strength was slowly failing. The entire right side of his leg black and burned as he continued to drive the creature back.<p>

"That's enough man. You'll kill yourself!" Cyborg yelled as he kept his foot on the fire hydrant directing water onto the Beast. Phantom kept attacking, giving one more kick before he landed next to Starfire who immediately caught him around the waist as his leg gave out. They all watched as the Beast began making his way forward again, then suddenly Thunder and Lightning were there.

"Please, we wish to help," Lightning said as he gazed at the Titans, his eyes falling on Phantom and his bleeding leg.

"How? You two created this thing," Raven stated as she continued to push the fire back.

"Create a storm," Phantom spoke, everyone now looking at him.

"If you do that, then I'll be able to help you stop him," No one argued, looking at the blazing green-eyed teen. Immediately the two brothers disappeared into the sky. Black clouds thickening, the drumming of thunder being heard up above, following after flashes of lightening.

The smell of a coming storm in the air.

Danny hurt. He felt like he'd just stepped through the fires of hell. No scratch that, hell was too broad of a term. He felt like he had a spike driven through his head, and every muscle flayed from his bones. That's what he felt like. But as the first drops of rain fell, he stood. Starfire letting him go as he reached inside his very core to the one power that could kill fire, ice. His power surged forth, his eyes completely blue as he rocketed through the sky releasing his power down the center of the Beast, which howled in pain.

Again, he attacked, bringing his right leg down into a curve slashing the Beast once more. He sent an ice punch up high. Ignoring the searing flesh as his fist made contact with the flames. He kept attacking until his ice formed the opposite symbol carved on the Beast's head, which read fire. The great symbol coldly burning, resting on the creature's chest read ice. And with this the Beast screamed out in pain, as the character sank into his skin. Dulling the creatures flames, the storm pelting the monster down, killing it until nothing was left but ash and ending the forest fire that had been raging. They had won. The Titans cheered, never in their lives had they been so grateful for rain.

* * *

><p>Robin was pinned to a tree, suspended in the air as the man held him up.<p>

"Robin, is that the best you can do?" The man asked when a stray bolt of lightning struck the man to the ground, dropping Robin. Landing on the ground, Robin looked to see the man standing, his face falling off, revealing the brown metallic mask underneath. Robin gasped as Slade disappeared into smoke, leaving behind only the talisman of fire.

"Slade," was all Robin said.

Everyone was still cheering when Beastboy turned to see Thunder, Lightning and Phantom walking up to them. Well, Thunder and Lightening were walking. Phantom was floating, burn marks across his right leg, and up his left arm and fist. Beastboy ran up to them, followed closely by the Titans. Thunder bowed to both Beastboy and Phantom.

"I am sorry for the trouble we have made," Thunder said then nudging his spiky haired brother as well.

"I am, also sorry," Lightning replied sincerely, taking extra care to bow to Phantom.

"You have taught us much green one. Thank you," Thunder continued shaking Beastboy's hand.

"Don't thank me. Thank the person who taught me," Beastboy answered gesturing to Starfire, who approached them as the two brothers bowed to her in respect.

"And thank you for helping to defeat the flame monster." She replied.

"Yes well, we wouldn't have done it without your teammate." Thunder answered looking over to Phantom, who hovered there his mouth going slack in shock at what Thunder assumed.

"Thank you, white haired one," Lightning hastily added and with this, both flashed away in white light to rejoin the storm.

The Titans all looked at Phantom with fear at the fact that the brothers had called them teammates. But Phantom only sighed, looking beat up and burned.

"Please, you require healing," Starfire said, but as she approached Phantom, he recoiled from her. His senses seeming to return to him.

"I am _not_ your teammate," he growled, his glowing eyes solidifying the statement. The Titans all stared, Phantom began to leave when Robin emerged from the forest, his eyes immediately meeting Phantom's

"Do you know who that man was?" Danny asked before Robin could question his injuries.

"Yes. It was Slade," Danny froze, his feet hitting the ground. That had been Slade. The one who had broken into his store, the one who said…

"Phantom, you alright man?" Cyborg asked walking up and placing a hand on Phantom's uninjured shoulder. Then Danny did something he swore he'd never do again, he teleported home.

* * *

><p>The Titans were back at home. Cyborg analyzing the thing Slade had left behind.<p>

"So, Slade wants to destroy the city, the question is, why?" He asked.

"I don't know. But I will find out and he won't get away with it," Robin said, but another question still plagued his mind: what had Slade said to Phantom up on that hill? And why did he seem afraid?

* * *

><p>Everything was falling into place. When those two teens flew past him in the storm Slade knew how to get what he wanted. Granted with the Beast gone it would take longer to get Phantom to join him. But soon, he would have everything, including the Titan.<p>

Victory was at hand.

* * *

><p>The dream was coming. He knew it and yet couldn't fight it. So why did his muscles already feel like they were on fire? It wasn't time yet. The dream started, Danny remaining silent as he watched helpless, struggling to get free. Only this time the dream began to change, for alongside his family stood the Titans. He watched, and for the first time in over a year Danny screamed out: as Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, Mom, Dad, Jazz, Tucker, Starfire, Raven and Sam all died. Fiery pain awoke him and Danny continued to scream.<p>

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	6. Chapter 5:The Sum of Memories

_I can't remember falling..._

_"I have no memories I'm prepared to share with you."  
>~Peter O'Toole<em>

Titans Phantom

Chapter 5: The Sum of Memories

"_Danny."_

"_Yeah, Sam?"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_For what?"_

"_Killing you."_

It was early in the morning as Raven made her way to the Bookstore. The air still holding the rain's scent from the storm. The rest of the Titan's were still at home sleeping and Raven couldn't blame them. It had been a long night. But she found she could not sleep.

Her mind was plagued by Phantom. She could see him, hear him, taste his power, and yet she could not feel him. It was as if he were a ghost, as if his heart and mind were not there standing in front of her. And yet he was, he was here, all of her senses telling her he was. Raven just couldn't reach him. This had never happened to her before.

If Phantom truly was a spirit of some sort, then she should be able to feel his obsession. She should feel his heart. But Phantom held no such obsession, he held no desire, and yet he was filled with life. He existed. Why? What was keeping him here? And why could she not feel his aura? She arrived at the bookstore, only it was closed. Taking a look, Raven did see that it was only closed on Sundays but today was Tuesday. It should be open.

Sighing, Raven turned to leave, mindful of the small glass fragments that still littered the streets. When she noticed a small black button beside the handle of the door. Looking at it she realized it must be the door bell. After all, Cyborg did say that Danny lived in the basement. Raven debated, if the store was closed then that must mean Danny was at school, but then how could the store be open by nine every morning? Curious, Raven rang the doorbell and waited.

She heard the muffled chime as it rang through the store, its sound slipping out from the broken window. Raven wasn't sure how long she stood there, and was about to leave when she heard a door open. Danny walking down the aisle rubbing his eyes tiredly. He didn't even look up until he reached the door and seeing that it was Raven turned the lock to allow her inside. He must have given up trying to avoid talking with the Titans.

The store was dimly lit, the only light filtering in from the windows, the smell of rain and paper filling her nose she noted while moving around Danny, who'd flopped down on one of the nearby couches. Raven joined him, sitting down by his feet, which were covered with thick black socks, lowering her hood Raven sat there, taking in Danny's appearance.

He was wearing a long baggy jacket with a black under armor shirt to hide his arms, on his left hand he had wrapped white bandages around his fingers and palm, and he wore deep blue baggy sweat pants that looked maybe a half a size to big. Overall, his clothes made him look frail. As if he could shatter at the slightest touch. It didn't help that Danny had his right arm thrown over his face, shielding his eyes from the sun, his black messy hair looking like he'd just woken up. As Raven watched him, her overall impression was that he looked ill.

"Are you sick? Is that why you're missing school?" She asked with this Danny raised his arm showing two blue laughing pools. Danny did laugh out loud, until it turned into a slight cough. Raven sat there pondering the idea that maybe he was on drugs.

"Sorry, no I'm not sick. It's just a monster headache. And I graduated from high school last year," he said closing his eyes from the sun as Raven concluded that he was not on drugs, merely in a lot of pain.

"Then you are a lot older than you look," Raven stated looking at Danny trying to picture him as voter in California.

"No, I'm sixteen. I graduated when I was fifteen," he said opening his eyes and looking at her with slight annoyance.

"Then they must have done that to get rid of you. Were you too stupid for school?" Raven asked for some reason she liked seeing him looking at her with such annoyance. It was better than him lying there looking…dead. Danny gave a snort of irritation, now fully glaring at her although not quite pulling it off with the shadows under his eyes.

"No, I graduated because the school was too stupid for me. Ever heard of young geniuses?" He asked.

"Yes. But most of them are twitchy little things being held in underground government facilities. Playing video games and designing jetpacks while trying their hands at online dating," she said. Danny gave a brief laugh.

"Wow. Didn't peg you out to be a conspiracy theorist."

"And I didn't make you out to be a genius. And I'm not the conspiracy theorist, Beastboy is. He thinks that's where all the smart people go, and why online dating exists," Raven said a smile forming on her face at the memory of BB telling the entire team that ridiculous idea.

"Please tell me you corrected him," Danny asked now really trying not to laugh.

"No, we tend to let him believe what he wants. He learns more that way when he discovers he's wrong," she said trying to hide her confusion as to why Danny was talking to her. She concluded it was from the pain when she saw him grimace at a ray of sun that seemed to like his face.

"I see," Danny replied placing his arm over his eyes once more. Raven looked around the store, a slightly awkward silence setting in between them. She wanted him to speak again.

"Why are you not open today?" She asked her eyes falling back to Danny who was now staring at her from under his arm.

"Headache. Didn't feel like dealing with all of the customers today," with this Danny stood. Swaying slightly he made his way over to the café and poured himself a glass of water. Raven followed noting how he favored his left leg.

"Is your leg injured?"

"Yeah, fell down the stairs last night and hit my head. Why do you think I have the headache?" He said looking at her, his emotions hidden just behind the wall. Raven sighed, she couldn't reach him as well.

"I see," Raven answered as her communicator went off. Looking back to Danny she saw him grimace at the sound, but otherwise said nothing when she answered it. Robin was on the other end.

"Hey, we need you back at the Tower." Raven nodded as he hung up.

"I need to go. I hope you feel better," she said pulling on her hood, making her way to the door, Danny trailing behind.

"Thanks," he said and with this he watched Raven fly off. Danny relocked the door and turning, floated back to the other side of the room, down the stairs, and over to his room where he then phased out of his jacket and shirt. Revealing red stained bandages running along his left arm and up his shoulder. Sitting down on his bed, he carefully removed the black sock on his right foot, hissing in pain as he pulled at some of the new skin cells.

Danny shifted, rolling onto his stomach so as not to disturb the burns that snaked across the back part of his right leg. He would have to change the bandages soon, Danny knew this. But once his head hit the soft pillow his mind drifted away into unconsciousness. The dull beat of the headache slowly fading with every breath he took, until Danny felt no more.

* * *

><p>"A picnic, you demanded I return home so we can have a picnic," Raven deadpanned as she glowered at Robin, who smiled sheepishly. Raven continued to glare at him and the rest of the team.<p>

"You know you want to," Cyborg said smirking as he walked up behind her holding a huge brown picnic basket. Raven sighed and followed the group out, Starfire joining her side.

"Friend Raven, where were you?"

"I went to Danny's store, but it was closed."

"Was Danny at school?" Robin asked, although now that he thought about it, it was weird that Danny said to enjoy 'my' store. Did he own it?

"No. Danny graduated from school when he was fifteen," at this Robin was impressed.

"Is not-friend Danny alright?" Starfire asked, concerned for him.

"He's fine. He just has a headache from falling down some stairs and an injured leg." Raven said at this Beastboy burst out laughing.

"Dude, even I'm not that clumsy!" BB howled at this Cyborg stuck his foot out as they made their way down the sidewalk heading to the park. Effectively tripping Beastboy who landed on his face.

"Oh look, you're on the sidewalk. Guess it means you're clumsier," Cyborg said as the Titans all walked past BB who promptly pulled himself off the ground.

"Not cool, and that doesn't count. I'm not clumsy!" He yelled chasing after them.

The park was beautiful, this day was beautiful. The breeze was cool, the sun was shining and Cyborg was cooking four and a half pounds of ribs. People were everywhere enjoying life itself. Robin and Starfire were talking on a park table while making sandwiches, Raven was meditating under an old oak tree, a boxed salad by her side with slices of ham and eggs in it, a travel mug of herbal tea, and Beastboy, well Cyborg wasn't sure, but the little grass stain was somewhere.

"Would you look at that? A little sunshine, a little breeze only one thing could make this day better, four and a half pounds of Baby Back Ribs!" Cyborg said as he made his way over to the table where Robin was eating a burger and Starfire was drinking from a yellow bottle. But Cy didn't notice that, he was too busy admiring his handy work.

"Man, I love picnic food!"

"Agreed Cyborg. This tangy yellow beverage is truly delightful," Starfire smiled when both Cyborg and Robin realized that she was drinking mustard, both stopped eating.

"Uh Starfire," Cy started.

"That's mustard." Robin finished grossed out.

"Is there more?" She asked hopefully, neither Titan answered.

Meanwhile back at the grill, a little green raccoon made his way over to the grill from a nearby tree branch and dropped down onto the ground, grabbing his lunch and transforming back into Beastboy.

"Sweet, my tofu dogs are cooked to perfection. Yo, Raven, try one! They're loaded with soy-beanie goodness," Beastboy called waving his hot dogs in the air.

Raven only stared. "I respect that you don't eat meat. Please respect that I don't eat fake meat." At this Beastboy shrugged and gobbled down his hot dogs and Cyborg ran past him holding a football.

"Alright ya'll, who wants to play some football?" Everyone instantly joined. Robin and Cyborg we're on a team, Beastboy and Starfire on the other, Raven saying she'd be referee. With this the game started.

"Red 23 hut, Hut!" Robin called as Cyborg passed him the ball running down the field being chased by Starfire. As Robin prepared to throw it, Beastboy began counting up in Gotham Cities as Cy continued to run.

"You can run, you can fly, but you can't catch Cy!" Cyborg yelled. Starfire's eyes an electric green as she prepared to intercept to ball.

"Four Gotham City, FIVE GOTHAM CITY!" BB yelled charging at Robin as a giant Triceratops, Robin yelled out in surprise but jumped onto Beastboy, spinning in the air and throwing the football as hard as he could straight for Cyborg's waiting arms.

"I got it! I got it! I…" Cyborg never got to finish, for his world went black as he shut down. He came crashing to the ground. His armor going black, his red eye shutting down as his human one closed in sleep.

* * *

><p>Danny woke up in pain, for somehow he had managed to roll onto his back during sleep and irritate his wounds.<p>

"Ow!" Danny howled as he quickly floated up into the air. Landing on the ground balancing on his left foot to avoid any extra pain. Frustration set on his face _'what was the point of recovering if he couldn't even sleep?'_ Mentally cursing his mind, Danny set off to the bathroom to change his bandages before heading out. Danny wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but looking at the clock he realized that it was past one. Grabbing his keys and sketchpad he headed out, ignoring the burn of his flesh.

"_Sam, you've never killed me." Danny replied looking at her through the darkness. Tucker had gone home long ago. But Sam shook her head and gazed up to the stars as if the Heaven's themselves were condemning her._

"_Yes, I did. I convinced you to go in that portal, and I did again when I realized that we were all still in danger from Desiree and the other ghosts. I sacrificed you to protect us. I killed you, Danny." With this she buried her head in her hands, her shoulders beginning to tremble from the tears that threatened to spill. Danny felt his heart tear in two. Yes, he was partially dead, but Sam hadn't killed him. With this in mind he pulled her forward, peeling her hands away from her face, replacing them with his own._

"_Sam. Sam, look at me," he said his voice soft and strong. She shuddered and met his eyes with hers._

"_Sam, you didn't kill me. I did. I would have gone into that portal with or without your help. But if you and Tucker hadn't been there for me once I stepped out, I don't know what would have happened. And besides, when I stepped in the portal the second time, I was still a halfa. Desiree couldn't strip that from me, even though she believed she did. She only made me forget." Danny finished rubbing away two small tears that fell from her eyes._

"_But Danny, I still gave you up. I wished you away."_

"_And you also wished me back."_

* * *

><p>The blackness was ending. Cyborg was coming back to the sounds of his friends who all sounded very worried. Although why, he had no idea.<p>

"Cyborg, are you alright?" Robin asked as he and Starfire helped him up.

"Yeah, thanks."

"What happened?" Raven asked looking up at him in concern.

"Something must have gone wrong with my systems," Cyborg mumbled, taping a built in screen in his arm to scan for the problem, which instantly appeared.

"Ah man, my power cell's dying," he said irritated.

"Dying?" Starfire freaked. Her friend was dying!

"It's only a battery, I'm fine. Happens every couple of years, just a natural part of being unnatural," Cy answered shrugging it off like the wind, or trying to at least.

"So what do we do?" Robin asked wanting to help, Cyborg bent down to retrieve the football and handed it to Robin.

"You keep playing. I have to go home and change batteries," he said walking off.

"You sure you don't want help?" Beastboy called.

"Just 'cause I can't have fun, doesn't mean ya'll can't."

And with this Cyborg left to head home, making his way across the grass and onto the stone path. It really was a nice day. As he continued to walk he noticed someone up ahead leaning on a tree, Cyborg knew who he was. Danny. Cyborg was shocked, he never imagined Danny to be the nature loving type. But there he sat, a pencil and paper in hand drawing. Man, Raven really understated Danny's headache, the kid practically looked sick. Cyborg made his way towards him when he saw Danny close his eyes and lean his head back on a tree looking ready to hurl.

"Hey man, you alright?" Cy asked, making sure to note how long he had till his battery shut down. Twenty minutes. Danny opened his eyes.

"Yeah, you?" Danny asked a little annoyed.

"Yeah, did you injure your hand?" He asked noting the white bandages.

"When I fell down the stairs I strained my wrist. It should be fine in a couple of days," Danny replied closing his eyes once more, praying that Cyborg would just go away. He did.

As Cy continued his walk a piece of the puzzle fell in place. Danny only answered questions he was asked. Never going into details. Cyborg asked about his hand and Danny told him. He didn't tell him about his headache or his leg. In fact, Danny never told them anything outside of what they asked. As if he didn't want them to know. Like he didn't want anyone to know.

"Cyborg!" A voice called, startling the Titan from his thoughts, and turning Cyborg saw a kid no older than ten, dressed in baseball gear running up to him. School for them must have finally gotten out for the day.

"Whoa, Cyborg it's really you!" The kid exclaimed happily doing a double take at his hero to make sure it was him.

"You're my favorite 'cause look, you're just like me!" He said excitedly pulling off his gloved hand to reveal a brown prostatic hand that looked to extend past his wrist. What do you say to that? He never thought of himself as being disabled for his wires and bolts. But here this kid was saying they were exactly alike.

"Um yeah. I, I guess I am," he said trying to hide his shock. His communicator went off signaling an alert.

"Cool," the kid said as he watched his inspiration.

"Nice meeting you, kid. But I got butt to kick!" Cyborg said running off to find the other Titans.

"Cool!" He yelled again, Cyborg was awesome! As Cyborg ran he checked his clock one more time, thirteen minutes and twenty-one seconds. He could do this.

The criminal was robbing Dan's Jewelry Store. Dan was currently tied up and gagged, hanging down from the ceiling. Screaming as he watched the crazy blue magician stealing his gems. The magician turned around, he had a big nose with a white mustache and a small pointy white beard with white hair that came to two points around his face. He probably was bald underneath his black top hat. He wore a tuxedo with a yellow flower. No doubt designed to squirt water, he had on two white gloves and a bright red cape. On his face a domino mask rested, concealing his eyes, but what was striking were his blue pointy ears and skin. His name was Mumbo.

"Thanks so much, you've been a wonderful audience. Now watch as the amazing Mumbo vanishes into thin air!" Mumbo said his voice annoyingly grating to the ears making anyone who heard him want to punch him in the face. But Dan couldn't, so he watched as Mumbo pulled out his toy wand, no seriously, that's what it looked like–Dan would swear to you –and waved it around, blue sparks flying out of its tip as Mumbo screamed.

"Mumbo Jumbo!" And Mumbo vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Dan to wonder what the heck just happened and still tied to the ceiling.

Mumbo ran to Tito's Junkyard laughing all the way. Looking like the blue form of the Tasmanian devil. Stopping when he felt it was safe after all, who would follow him to the junkyard? Snapping his fingers he made a beautiful diamond appear holding up an eyeglass to inspect it.

"Not bad for a matinee."

"Shows over, Mumbo," Robin said, Mumbo gave a gasp of surprise, overdramatically spinning around to look at the Titans.

"Now hand over the jewels before the critics decide to trash your performance." Mumbo gave an annoyed look at Robin, he really didn't like the Titans.

"Now Robin, I'm sure there's a peaceful solution here," Mumbo answered as two small bombs appeared in his hands. "But this isn't it!" He screamed throwing them at the team, all dodging the flying bombs. As Robin landed on the dirt a safe distance away he felt someone reach out and grab his cape dragging him into a ditch.

"Who said you could start the fun without me?" Cyborg said smirking at the look of shock on Robins face.

"Cyborg? What about your power cell?" Robin asked concerned, now over the fact that Cyborg startled him when he pulled him into the ditch, which he was thankful for because Mumbo was now throwing small bombs by the handfuls towards them, laughing all the way through. Starfire and Raven were hidden behind two other trash piles throwing star-bots and black magic at Mumbo every chance they got with Mumbo dodging all of them, including Beastboy in his raptor form.

"Go home, get fixed, we can handle this without you," Robin ordered.

"I won't let you guys fight alone," Cyborg defended.

"And I won't let you put yourself in danger," Robin argued back.

"I got it covered, external battery pack," Cyborg said turning around to show four huge red batteries attached to his back. The cords wrapping around his arms, attaching around his chest, then he activated his sonic cannon.

"Teen Titans, Go!" Cyborg yelled charging at Mumbo, firing, slamming the blue man into a pile of trash, who screamed all the way. Mumbo stood brushing off his tux and pulling out colorful cloths all tied into a rope.

"Nothing up my sleeve, and Presto," Mumbo screamed as they tied themselves around Cyborg slamming him into the ground. Mumbo clapped his hands as Robin came down from the sky, preparing for a roundhouse kick, only he didn't make it.

"Need a hand?" Mumbo asked, sticking his arm up a pipe emerging on the other side, grabbing Robin by his cape suspending him in midair. He then was forced to dodge other hands as they attacked from different pipes.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screamed. Her eyes glowing completely brilliant white as she launched three very big machines covered in black magic towards Mumbo, who simply changed the magic and turned them all into beautiful rose petals.

"You think that's good. Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat. Hocus Pocus!" He said aiming his hat and firing thousands of white stuffed bunnies at Raven, burying her in their cute fluffiness. Now she was mad. Beastboy was defeated by thousands of cards that slammed into him, ironically when he was the ram.

"For my next trick I'll require a lovely assistant," Mumbo said as he pulled out a long brown cane which grabbed Starfire around the waist and pulled her to the ground placing her in a suspended brown box. Mumbo pulled out a very long saw, placing it directly over the box's center.

"It's only fair to warn you, I have no idea what I'm doing," Mumbo said truthfully as Star struggled to free herself. Cyborg jumped in the way, tackling Mumbo to the ground, sliding a good distance away.

"I hate fighting dirty, shall we clean you up!" Mumbo rebuked his yellow flower shooting out water, throwing Cyborg off of him and into a giant dump truck. His battery pack broke off as it short circuited. Cyborg looked at it. His emergency alarm went off, he had five seconds left. He stood. He needed to call for help, raising one arm in panic, the battery failed. And Cyborg knew no more, he just stood there as Mumbo dumped the trash down a bin that had a rusted out hole at the bottom and Cyborg fell into it. Robin ran to the dump truck, they had to get to Cyborg, he was in that truck. But Mumbo drove away.

"Exit stage left," Mumbo yelled while he sped off.

Robin chased after him but stopped when he realized he wouldn't be able to catch up. He waited for the rest of his team.

"Titans, he's got Cyborg," With this they all raced after Mumbo. Leaving Cyborg in the dark hole, where unbeknownst to them he slept, as mechanical beings with red eyes carried him away.

* * *

><p>Danny was getting tired. He had been sitting at the park drawing when he felt sleep beginning to weigh him down. Closing his sketchbook, Danny tried to stand, but his muscles were too tired. His body needed sleep, and it was going to get it, Danny sank back down onto the grass, his back pressed up into the tree. Strangely enough, it was comfortable or maybe his mind could no longer register how uncomfortable it was through its foggy haze. He felt his body shut down to sleep, as his conciseness tried to fight the tiredness, he needed to get home. If the dream came and he screamed, people would probably ask questions or think he was crazy, but the dream didn't come. And no one disturbed the raven haired boy sleeping under the tree, the warm wind ruffling his hair. For in his unwanted sleep Danny's face looked peaceful.<p>

"_Sam, when you first realized your mistake you didn't say, 'Danny, do you remember me? I was the one who gave you your powers.' No, you told me you were my best friend. Of course then Desiree had to go and ghost up the place making me think you were really nuts by bringing up the whole ghost powers thing."_

"_I did also dress in pink," Sam stated shuttering at the idea, causing Danny to laugh._

"_Hey, you got my attention, but for both our sakes, I think you should stick to your normal wardrobe. And we can file that under the, never do again category," Danny said as Sam burst into chuckles when she finally caught her breath, she looked at him with remorseful amethyst eyes._

"_I'm sorry we had that fight." _

"_So am I. I never realized how different my life would be without you, Sam. And I'm glad that you wanted me to remember."_

* * *

><p>System Online: Charging. Cyborg awoke to bright lights lying in a dark room that looked to be more of a cavern. He was confused.<p>

"You are operational, that is good," a strange man said. Cyborg turning his head to look at him from the operation table he was on, cords strapped into his main power cell.

"Ugh, what's going…" he tried to ask.

"Rest friend, your new power cell is not fully charged," spoke the man, Cyborg grabbed one of the large round lights and directed it into the darkness, landing on many rows of robots of all shapes and sizes as they, in turn, stared at him with bright red eyes.

"Who are you?" Cyborg asked.

"I am called Fixit." Fixit replied as Cyborg muttered 'whoa' under his breath upon seeing all of the machines.

"You were broken. I have brought you here to be repaired," Fixit said the light finally falling on Fixit himself. He was tall, pale white and had a defined bone structure with ocean blue eyes rimmed in black designs, and in the center of his forehead a white blue circle with two identical lines running around his face. He wore black coils that started at his neck and ended at his shoulders, making his neck look longer than normal. Almost African in structure, underneath that was a simple deep blue robe that reached the floor, the long sleeves flowing past his hands in a bell shaped design. He looked lean, his voice was neither deep nor high, just… calm, and he flowed with unmoving ease, that was terrifying, yet calming all the same. He looked like the perfect robot.

"Where's here?" Cyborg asked looking up at man in confusion.

The Sun was high in the sky when the Titans finally caught the dump truck, but Cyborg wasn't inside.

"And his locater signal is being jammed," Robin said putting away his communicator in puzzlement.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would Mumbo want to kidnap Cyborg?" He asked, Beastboy spotted something and ran towards it.

"Guys, over here, I found something!" Beastboy called picking up Mumbo's hat.

"I wouldn't…" Robin said but it was too late, thousands of doves flew out of the hat covering them all in white feathers.

"Way to go," Raven said annoyed. They went back to searching.

"Charging is complete. The new power cell is functioning properly," Fixit noted scanning the power cell.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Lots better," Cyborg said stretching his arms in the air.

"Of course you are. I am Fixit, things come to me broken, I make repairs," Fixit said making his way over to a pile of broken machines selecting different parts. Standing up, Cyborg decided he should head home.

"Well thanks, for everything," Cyborg called making his way towards the door. Fixit stopped. The levitating pieces he was planning to use clattered to the floor. All the robots now looked at Cyborg.

"You cannot leave," Fixit said approaching Cyborg.

"I can't'?"

"You are not repaired, not fully."

"I'm not?"

"My examination revealed many flaws, serious flaws," Fixit gravely answered.

"Serious. How serious? What's wrong with me?" Cyborg asked panicking.

"There is no cause for alarm. More repairs are needed, more repairs will be made."

"But I feel fine. Are you sure I'm…"

"Quite. Will you remain? It is for the best," Fixit said turning back to the examination table.

"Well yeah, I guess. Let me just tell my friends where I am," With this Cyborg began to activate the communicator in his arm. He never noticed Fixit's eyes turn red along with the circle on his forehead, the two blue lines following suite.

"Whoa! Something really is wrong with me." Cyborg said for he couldn't place the call, turning to Fixit whose eyes were now ocean blue once more.

"Rest now. You may contact your friends later. I'm sure they're not too concerned," Fixit replied as Cyborg went to lie down on the table, a sense of dread filling his heart.

"Maybe they should be."

* * *

><p>The Titans were having trouble. They couldn't seem to catch the 'amazingly' annoying Mumbo. Even when he was leaving an easy trail to follow. The Titans all stopped when they noticed a disappearing bus and a mail box spitting out rabbits as a woman floated by, suspended in three rings. And still, no sign of Cyborg.<p>

"I'll say this much for Mumbo: he's an easy act to follow," Beastboy said trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I would commit myself to a life of muck shoveling in the filth mines of Cornacks, if Cyborg could only be returned safely," Starfire pleaded looking up to the sky.

"He was malfunctioning, he shouldn't have been helping," Raven said looking to Robin, but hiding her fear underneath her blue hood.

"I tried to stop him but he's Cyborg," Robin replied, at this Starfire sighed sadly.

"I wish the Phantom were here, he always knows how to help,"

"Well he's not, and we need to stop relying on him every time he shows up," Robin snapped, looking at the group seriously.

"Uh, whenever he shows up, it's usually to save our butts," Beastboy said reminding him.

"And getting hurt in the process," Raven added, at this worry now filled all of their hearts. Not only for Cyborg, but for Phantom as well. Were his burns even healed? Was he even still alive? The Titans were pulled from their worries when they heard Mumbo yell none too loudly.

"Mumbo Jumbo!" And running around the corner of the street stood Mumbo as two ATM's poured out all of their money onto the concrete. Once Mumbo noticed them he stopped laughing and bowed to them taking off his hat, "Sorry folks, no time of autographs." With this he sucked all of the money into his hat and ran off.

"Titans, get him!" Robin ordered as they split up running down different alley ways. Raven was chasing Mumbo from behind, they came to a brick wall Mumbo yelled.

"Open sesame!" And the bricks disappeared allowing him through, but closed when Raven got there. Mumbo ran down another alley, where he screamed when he saw Beastboy as a giant green bull. As BB charged, Mumbo pulled off his red cape and dangled it in front of him and right when BB got close, pulled it away to reveal a brick wall. Beastboy really should have seen that coming, but Mumbo laughed transforming his hat into a sombrero while saying 'o lay!" He took off running again. Starfire began attacking from the sky firing down star-bolts, but he countered throwing a bouquet of flowers which promptly exploded in her face. Mumbo was nearing the end of the alley way when Robin landed his bo staff ready for attack,

"Abracadabra!" He yelled Robin's staff turned into a cobra which the Titan dropped. Mumbo raced up the stairs. He was almost free, laughing at his soon to be clean get away.

* * *

><p>"I don't get it? All my sensors say I'm fine," Cyborg said confused as he looked to Fixit standing in the shadows.<p>

"Your sensors are incomplete, mine are more precise," Fixit answered floating over to where Cyborg was laying on the table with cords attached to his chest, arms and head.

"Guess I'm just getting kind of nervous. How long am I going to be down here anyway?" Cyborg asked.

"Repairs could take some time. Besides, why would you want to leave? Look around you, look at yourself, you belong with us," Fixit replied as a glowing red cord attached to his central processor located in the center of his forehead.

"No, I don't. I mean, you got a nice place here and you've been really cool to me, but I couldn't live down here. I don't know how you can?" Cyborg answered as mild confusion crossed Fixit's face.

"What do you mean? The power supply is adequate, replacement parts are easy to find," Fixit replied looking around his cavern.

"I need more than that. What about sunlight? What about fresh air? What about food?!" Cyborg said his voice bordering on panic.

"I do not require these things. And when repairs are complete neither will you," Fixit said and with this he floated away. The thing in his gut telling Cyborg to run was screaming at him now. He needed to leave, standing, he pulled out the cords connecting him to the cavern.

"You know what, I'm feeling alright now, so thanks anyway but I'm just gonna go," he said making his way towards the door and away from the man who was making his stomach do back flips of fear.

"Stay," Fixit ordered his eyes going red once more. This time making the robots attack, dragging Cy back to the lab table.

"Repairs are not yet complete. Your biological components are not perfect and must be replaced," Fixit said as a heavy metal door opened revealing new body armor and a mask that would cover the rest of his human face. Cyborg felt his heart jump into his throat, as fear consumed him while staring at his twin red eye. Fixit was going to make him a machine, Cyborg screamed.

"NO!" He fell into darkness, the red eye swallowing him whole.

"_I wouldn't have it any other way, Danny," Sam said leaning into him, pressing her head to his shoulder. Danny felt a bright red blush form across his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist._

"_So we're okay now?" He asked still afraid that Sam might still be blaming herself._

"_Yeah, we're okay," She breathed, sighing into his shoulder. It was then the two heard the snapping of a camera and turning they saw none other than their other best friend. With whom they were suddenly very mad at._

"_Tucker!" Both Sam and Danny yelled as he made a 'gah' noise while trying to make his escape._

* * *

><p>Biological Components: Removed.<p>

Repairs: Complete.

"Awaken friend. Awaken and see your new face," Fixit beckoned, Cyborg's twin red eyes opened to stare in a mirror, a mechanical being gazing back. Rage consumed him, he was human! He was HUMAN! Just like the little kid in the park, Cyborg wasn't part machine, he was a human as well. Cyborg screamed and shattered the mirror his now metal body falling into blackness.

"Aahhh!" Cyborg yelled waking from his nightmare, he breathed.

"Do not be afraid, you were dreaming. Sleep will not be necessary once repairs are complete," Fixit commented floating over to the mask to continue working on it.

"What if I don't want to be repaired? What if I like me this way?!" Cyborg screamed trying not to let his panic show as he struggled against his restraints.

"Such thoughts come from your imperfect biological components. They will be replaced momentarily," Fixit answered serenely.

"Not if I can help it," Cyborg growled, his fists tightening in the restraints.

* * *

><p>Mumbo was almost there, a few more roof tops and he'd be scotch free. So busy throwing silly hexes at Starfire, Raven, and Beastboy, Mumbo never noticed Robin racing on top of another building until the magician had his wand snatched right out of his hand by him, and snapped in two. It gave a resounding crack and Mumbo screamed, all of his spells coming undone. The money reappearing along with the jewels, Mumbo crying while his hat shrunk down, and disappeared along with his tux and blue skin. Until all that remained was a Mumbo with grey hair, dressed as a magic shop owner, with brown pants and suspenders a white shirt underneath. No one paid attention to this. Robin was too angry, he wanted his friend back. Robin grabbed Mumbo by his suspenders and pulled him up, glaring.<p>

"No more tricks. Where, is, Cyborg?" Robin growled menacingly.

"How should I know?" Mumbo stuttered.

"Where is he?" Robin screamed.

"You took him from the junkyard." Raven stated, trying to control her emotions.

"What have you done with him?" Starfire demanded.

"Nothing, honest! When you broke the wand you broke all my spells. Even if I had done something, it'd be over now. Poof! He'd be standing right here!" Mumbo explained raising his hands in surrender. Robin let him fall to the ground, looking to Beastboy who started speaking.

"If Cyborg's not with him then he's still at…"

"The Junkyard!" All of the Titans exclaimed. Not getting any of this, Mumbo smiled and proceeded to try and get himself out of trouble.

"So do I still have to go to jail?" Mumbo asked, he was met with four angry glares.

"I thought so," Mumbo said, well it was worth a try.

* * *

><p>Cyborg was struggling to get loose. Fixit stopped working on the mask.<p>

"I am ready. We will begin now."

"Perfect timing," Cyborg growled and with a burst of strength he broke through the restraints and made a dash for the door. But Fixit stopped him, his eyes turning red as he shut the steel cased door. Cyborg gasped and turned to face Fixit, he was running out of options.

"I didn't want to have to do this but…" Cy stopped speaking, he activated sonic cannon, only to have it shut down.

"Your defensive systems have been disabled for the procedure. They will be reactivated when repairs are complete," Fixit stated.

Frustrated, Cyborg ran towards him prepared to knock him out. But was stopped by the other robots which wrapped their coils around him, stopping him just short of reaching Fixit. Cyborg stretched his hand out and grasped the clock around Fixit and tore it away. Revealing a man who was completely robotic, his green organs surrounded by thousands of wires. Cyborg gasped in horror as he was dragged onto the table.

"The biological malfunctions are growing worse. We must begin at once," Fixit said replacing his deep blue robe.

Robin leaped down into the giant hole.

"His battery pack, he must have fallen down here," Robin said looking up at his team, before joining him in the darkness where the rays of sunlight could not reach.

"Star, can you give us some light?" Robin asked with this Starfire lit a star-bolt around her hand and they made their way deeper into the cave, calling out there best friend's name. They weren't sure how long they had been walking, when out of the darkness came hundreds of robots all with gleaming red eyes.

"Whoa, any of you guys seen a dude about this tall, with one red eye, and Titanium body armor?" Beastboy asked, it didn't help, the robots advanced.

"Teen Titans, Go!" Robin called with this they began to fight. While Star's attacks only lighting up the dark in brief flashes as they cut through the army to get to their friend.

Fixit was ready. He went over to retrieve the mask and brought it over to a still struggling Cyborg, his eyes widened in fear at its sight.

"Do not resist, it is for the best," Fixit said covering the rest of Cyborg's face in metal. His human eye just visible through the glow of the red eye covering it, showing a panicked look.

"No, it isn't. If you take out my biological components, you take out the best part of me, the part that makes me who I am!" Cyborg screamed.

"Your memories, your 'self' will be preserved," Fixit explained calmly as his eyes and forehead began to glow a bright red, "I will download them into your new brain," he said with this Fixit's central processor cord attached to Cyborg's forehead preparing for the download.

"No, you can't, please, you don't understand! Nooo!"

"_Oh, come on! Please don't kill me that was a picture perfect moment!" Tucker screamed very girly as he dodged ecto- blasts from Danny and two boots plus some rocks that Sam found on the ground._

_Danny stopped at this, which in turn caused Sam to stop as well, giving him a questioning look. Suddenly Danny broke into a smile._

"_No, if it was a picture perfect moment I would be doing this…" Danny said as he grabbed Sam around the waist and pulled her into kiss. Sam quickly registering that it wasn't like the fake-out make-out kiss they'd done back in the lab. No this was real. And she loved it. Quickly melting into it as Tucker stood there, his mouth hanging in a giant 'o' shape. They resurfaced somewhere when both realized that they needed air, and meeting each other's eyes. Danny and Sam both sported perfectly matching blushes and smiling faces. They then turned to Tucker who was fist-pumping the air, whooping and hollering._

"_Yes! I finally did it, I got my two best friends to finally admit their love! I'm the best cupid ever! Wait, ah man, now I'm definitely a third wheel!" Tucker said grumbling as Danny and Sam made their way over to him, laughing at his antics, placing him in the middle of the group as they walked back home. Sam's arms around his waist, Danny's arms around his shoulders._

"_Don't worry Tucker, you're the best third wheel anyone could ask for," Sam said._

"_And think of it this way, tomorrow you'll get three hundred bucks for hooking us up before school let out," Danny happily quipped._

"_You're right, I won the bet. Sweet!" Tucker said his mind's eye swimming in cash._

"_Wait, what bet?" Sam asked confused, both boys let go of her. Shrinking back in fear as she yelled out again, "What Bet?!" they began running as Sam began chasing them barefoot all the way down the street._

The memories were too much: the sun, the breeze, the people, the food, and his friends. Eating, playing football, seeing their faces flashing across his mind Raven, Robin, Beastboy, Starfire, Danny, the kid with the wooden arm. Fixit screamed as he broke away from Cyborg, falling to the ground his eyes now ocean blue. Everything stopped working, the restraints holding Cyborg lifted, the mask came clattering to the ground, and the robots fighting the Titans shut down as their master no longer operated them. Cyborg stepped onto the ground, his legs giving out from shock. The red eye mask looking at him emptily. Fixit slowly rose into a sitting position looking down into his hands.

"Cyborg," Robin said placing a hand on his friend's shoulder breaking Cy away from the mask. He turned and saw his friends all standing around him.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked looking down at the mask.

"Yeah," he said getting to his feet.

"So beautiful. I had forgotten, how beautiful… the world through your eyes," Fixit whispered sadly his ocean blue eyes downcast.

"Through human eyes, the same kind you have," Cyborg answered kneeling down to the robotic man.

"Perhaps, I am the one in need of repairs," Fixit stated turning over his perfect white mechanical hand that looked perfectly human.

"And maybe I'm the guy who can help repair you," Cyborg said standing and holding out his human, mechanical hand. Fixit took it and together, he and the Teen Titans left the cavern for the sun. The first place they went was back to the park, where the sun was beginning to set, casting streaks of colors into the cloudless sky. The Titans couldn't help but smile at the look on Fixit's face as he felt the warmth of the rays on his skin. But as they continued to walk Cyborg's mood grew darker. Fixit wasn't a fighter. He couldn't stay at Titan's Tower, it would turn into nothing more than another cave. But if people always saw Fixit with the Titans they would assume he was a hero and begin attacking him. At the same time, Cyborg knew he couldn't leave Fixit out on his own. So what should he do?

"Friend, is it common for people to sleep under the sun?" Fixit asked pointing over to a person with black hair resting on the grass underneath a tree.

"Danny!" Cyborg yelled as the Titans and Fixit all ran over to the teen who appeared to not be moving. Robin bent down over his sleeping form and gently shook his shoulder. He didn't know that there was burned skin underneath his clothes. Danny snapped awake and shot into a sitting position gripping his shoulder painfully.

"What did you do that for? That hurt!" He hissed out angrily.

"Friend, you were asleep under this tree, something bad could have happened to you!" Starfire said worried.

"Yeah man, when did you fall asleep?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't know…thirty minutes after you left, why?"

"Dude, that was nearly five hours ago!" Cyborg yelled shocked as Danny gripped his head in pain from Cy using such a loud voice.

"Headache! Could you be any louder?" Danny asked as Cyborg quickly apologized. Danny's eyes fell immediately onto Fixit who fidgeted. It was his first time meeting another person.

"Who's your friend?" Danny asked slowly standing to avoid fainting. He really didn't want to go to a hospital.

"My name is Fixit. You are Danny?" Fixit asked trying to confirm that this was the name of the person the Titans had called out too.

"Yeah," Danny said his eyes slowly closing as he looked towards the sun. Cyborg then had an idea.

"Danny, could Fixit stay with you? After all, you have an extra guest room. I know this is a weird request but…"

"Sure," Danny replied not letting Cyborg finish. Danny then turned to Fixit.

"That is, if you want to. You won't hurt my feelings if you say no."

Before Fixit could even answer, Cyborg interrupted.

"Whoa, you don't even let me finish and you say yes! Are you mental?"

Danny huffed at this. "No, but he doesn't look like a fighter and knowing you idiots, you'd probably get him killed by accidentally falling on him in the middle of a training session or something silly like that," Danny replied all of the Titans blushed scarlet. Fixit couldn't help but smile at their flustered looks, this Danny kid sure knew how to get underneath their skin. Plus he liked to sleep under the sun so…

"May I stay with you?" Fixit asked all of the Titans getting a grip on their faces as Danny nodded.

"Sure, but be prepared, I own a book shop, so that means you'll have to put up with annoying customers and broken coffee machines," Danny explained as he and Fixit walked down the path leaving the Titans.

"I am Fixit. I'm sure I can handle fixing your problems," he stated and turning back around, Fixit gave a small bow to the Titans.

"Thank you, Cyborg. I wish to see you soon, friend."

"Yeah, same here. Have fun," Cyborg called rubbing the back of his neck. The Titans waited until both Danny and Fixit disappeared from sight before…

"Dude, the first time we meet Danny he nearly takes are heads off. But the instant he meets Fixit he's all 'sure we can be friends.' What the heck? What do we have to do to get that kid to like us?!" Beastboy yelled in exasperation. All of the Titans agreed.

"Hey Cyborg, can you do some digging into Danny's past? I'm curious to know who he is and what he's been through," Robin asked, Cyborg nodded as they made their way back to Titan's Tower.

* * *

><p>Fixit was impressed. First by the store and now by Danny's house, it seemed so bright. As he continued to study the architecture, a question came to mind.<p>

"Why do you like hexagons?" He asked.

"My parents used to use them a lot when they built things," Danny said hesitating to answer.

"That is not all though?" Fixit added.

"No, it means family, the hexagon. To me at least," Danny said staring up at the painting on his wall. His mind in a faraway place.

"Will you tell me about your family?" Fixit asked the look of pain did not go unmissed by Fixit's ocean eyes.

"No, I can't. I'm sorry, but there are some things I can't tell you or anyone. Please understand that," Danny answered his ice eyes showing a shattered soul. After a long pause, Fixit nodded. What happened to this kid? Danny sighed.

"Thanks. Look I'm going to bed, feel free to look around the store or in my library just please don't enter the black door, got it?" Danny asked.

"I understand. Have a nice night," Fixit said as he floated over to Danny's library and pulled out the first book on the shelf and sat down to read. Danny turned away and headed into his room, his eyes clouded over with fear.

"If only it were that simple," he whispered and with this he got ready for bed.

"_I love you, Danny." Sam whispered._

* * *

><p>The Titans were at the park again, waiting for Fixit and Danny to arrive. Apparently, Danny was having trouble kicking customers out of the store. Fixit explained that over the phone as the Titans heard a loud crashing noise in the background, followed by some very colorful words issuing from Danny's mouth. Which none of the Titans explained when Starfire asked what Danny meant. As they were waiting, Cyborg was heading back to the group after retrieving the football when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Turning, Cyborg saw the same kid from yesterday dressed in the blue baseball shirt and hat running towards him, only this time he had a friend.<p>

"See, I told you its Cyborg and look, he's just like me!" The little kid said to his friend excitedly holding up his prostatic arm.

"Whoa, cool!" The friend whispered in awe at the baseball kid and Cyborg.

"I am just like you. But it's not your arm that makes us the same. It's the stuff connected to it," He said pointing at the kid's heart. Both kids awed Cyborg as he stood.

"Now, go deep!" He yelled pointing to the other end of the park where both kids took off running preparing to catch the flying football.

"_I love you, Sam." Danny whispered back._

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	7. Chapter 6: The Door to Nevermoore

_I'm nearing the edge..._

_"We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have." - Publilius Syrus_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 6: The Door to Nevermore

It was dark. The city was quiet. The only sound coming from a man standing over a broken security truck. Its contents glowing through the darkness from the giant melted hole in the armored doors side. The men, charged with driving the truck to the bank, were knocked out cold. Leaving only the criminal there to take the glittering gold.

He was about to grab the first bar when he heard a weapon being fired, sounding like the ringing of a bell. He knew that sound, he dodged the star-bolt flipping onto the top of the overturned vehicle where he now faced the Teen Titans. The man looked ridiculous. As if he'd just stepped out of a bad sci-fi movie. For he was dressed in a black spandex suit which had a giant light bulb on it, and his sliver wire belt was covered in small gold covered bulbs. His arms covered in sliver wrapped coils which held two small gold generators that allowed him to produce high grade electric light. But what was the most ridiculous thing out of his whole outfit… was the helmet. It was as if he couldn't decide between Star Trek or the Power Rangers, it also didn't help that he had a beard, which looked more or less like a stupid goatee, and that he had put on thick black eyeliner making him look like a crack addict.

So when Danny had seen him take down the truck, while giving a horrible monologue that could rival even one of Technus's speeches. Danny did what any normal person would do. He simply stepped inside an alley way and waited for the Titans. Okay, so not exactly normal. Everyone else had fled screaming like little girls. But if it allowed him to stay away from his home, and out of Fixit's keen eyes, he would take it.

Fixit had only been there two days and he was already getting too close. He'd asked about Danny's family, his store, and even his scar's after he found Danny removing the bandages in the kitchen because that's where he kept the scissors. At that, Danny now had a permanent set in his bathroom, so Fixit wouldn't wonder why he had long pink burn marks on his forearm that were rapidly turning white. Fixit knew all the questions. And he kept asking, reopening Danny's wounds and tearing at his heart. His breath caught in his throat.

Danny sank onto the concrete floor, his emotions searing through his body. The bricks digging into his back as he pressed up against the wall. He vaguely heard Dr. Light giving another speech on his magnificent powers, while shooting gold light at the Titans. Fire spread through Danny's legs. He bit his lip to contain the screams, for in these past two days, Danny hadn't slept more than a few hours at a time. For fear of himself screaming out in the night. So he forced himself to wake before the dream even began. And now he was paying for it.

The Titans were still attacking and Dr. Light kept speaking on how light was better than everything. Danny slammed the back of his head into the brick wall to numb the fire...and the desire to shoot the crazy light bulb doctor. The doctor shot Robin in the chest sending him flying high into the air and onto the roof of a small building, it was then that Danny knew he needed to help. But his body screamed in protest as he shakily got to his feet, the fire spreading up his lower back, the dream flashing behind his eyes. Beastboy ran at Dr. Light transforming into a green snarling wolf.

"A wolf is no threat, when it's blind as a bat!" the doctor spoke heatedly, throwing thousands of tiny condensed light at BB who felt like he'd stepped through a rave machine. His head spinning and in the most unpleasant way. Starfire was caught easily in one of Light's traps, Danny felt his stomach tighten in fear, only two Titans left. He needed to help. They were about to be defeated by some half-ass villain, with Danny not ten feet from them!

"No," Danny growled out as he watched Cyborg get melted into the armor truck from a plasma attack. He forced the dream deep into his mind, burying it, until nothing was left except the dull ache and burn from his injured body. Summoning his strength, two blue rings formed around Danny, turning him into Phantom, leaving Fenton behind. As he opened his eyes he saw Raven hit the ground, Dr. Light standing over her menacingly.

"Bit of advice, find shorter magic words," Dr. Light said smugly preparing for another attack. His arms glowing a yellow brighter than the glittering bars spilling out of the truck. She threw a motorcycle at him, but he easily destroyed it. He aimed and fired directly at Raven's heart, her violet eyes went wide in surprise. She flinched from the coming attack her eyes closing, trying to control the fear and the soon to be pain. But the attack never made it. Instead it bounced off a swirling green barrier being held in place by Phantom. Raven stared at him in shock, gasping, for she could feel everything. She could feel him, his power, his existence, and his heart. He was in pain. Not from the crazy doctor who was yelling profanities at him, but from helping the Titans, from helping her. They were hurting him.

"Stop!" Raven screamed panic in her eyes as she regained her balance, placing a hand on Phantom's shoulders. Surprise registered on Phantom's face, his eyes meeting hers, and Raven felt a wave of tiredness wash over his very being. Leaving the Titan gasping for breath. How could Phantom survive all this pain? Raven's emotions swirled around her, and she felt the door slam open in her heart as she lost control of the thing she swore never to let out.

Still gazing at her, Phantom dropped the shield protecting them as he followed Raven's strange request. They hadn't been prepared for Dr. Light's next attack which sent Raven flying through the air and sending Phantom into a nearby building. As Raven hit the unforgiving ground she felt rage rise in her. How dare he harm them! That scum had no right to walk upon the very ground she did! Raven struggled to kill these thoughts, for they were not her own, she heard Dr. Light approaching. She needed to stop him, she needed to find Phantom to save his heart, the rage continued to grow.

"Don't come any closer," Raven warned.

"What's wrong, afraid of a little light?"

* * *

><p>Danny hurt. This was his only feeling as he smashed through the bricks of some unknown building. Groaning, he pushed himself off of the ground trying to access how much damage he just took. Nothing was broken, his back hurt and his right leg ached from the still healing burn marks, but other than that he felt fine. Only he wasn't. Frustration overwhelmed him. Why had he listened to Raven? He was trying to save her, and instead, ended up getting thrown into a building. Stumbling through the bricks lying on the floor, Danny made his way to the newly formed exit, only then did the color drain from his face.<p>

For floating a good ten feet off the ground was Raven. Her cloak billowing around, endless darkness emanating from her very being. She dragged a screaming Dr. Light closer to her, until she swallowed him whole, his pleas never reaching her merciless ears. A knife twisted in Danny's gut as he watched Raven smile a mirthless smile. Eyes completely blood red. Just like his had been. The instant that thought crossed his mind, Danny knew. That thing wasn't Raven. And he had to stop her. Ignoring the painful pull in his muscles Danny ran forward, why he didn't just fly, never crossed his mind, stopping near the edge of oblivion he stared up into Raven's horrid face.

"Raven, _stop!"_ Danny yelled hoarsely. Bleakly he noticed Robin running towards them the same look of panic on his face. Raven gasped, her eyes snapping back to gemstone violet, her face melting into a look of neutrality as she sank back to her normal size releasing the doctor from the darkness. Phantom's words had been like a bucket of ice water thrown in her face. He had been scared, not just for the now quivering doctor on the ground, but for her. Raven didn't have to meet Phantom's eyes to know what he was feeling, but she did anyway.

He looked beyond tired. His muscles were still tense and he was coated in a thick seen of dust and grim making his snow white hair a messy, older white, his eyes seemed unable to look away from Raven. Robin reached them, immediately bending down to the doctor whose armor was completely destroyed and smelled faintly of burnt metal, his eyes were wide and held a look of insanity. He never acknowledged Robin, or his look of concern. No, Dr. Light only continued to stare into space, his mind lost as he trembled before the group.

"So dark…make it stop…no light," he continued to sputter, no one paid attention to him. Robin looked up to see Raven and Phantom staring at each other as if the other person saw their darkest secrets. Phantom broke contact first. Blank eyes meeting Robin's, there was no emotion on his face as he extended a hand towards him. He let Phantom pull him up. Robin was about to give his thanks when Raven cut him off.

"Don't," was all she said, Phantom's eyes to snap to hers. A fire suddenly breaking free.

"I won't. And stay out of my heart. Or next time, I won't be so forgiving," Phantom said flatly, but his eyes told the two Titans that his threat was to be taken seriously. Finished, Phantom simply vanished. Not like the past when a swirl of green energy encompassed him. He simply disappeared, leaving a very confused Robin and a shocked Raven.

"What just happened?" Robin asked confused, with his eyes temporarily flitting down to the doctor, who was still in a fetal position mumbling about the darkness.

Raven stared into the darkness, eyes barely containing her shock. He had felt her presence the second he made eye contact with her. Pain stabbed at her heart. For when he realized that Raven could feel everything about him, Phantom's mind slammed shut. Burying all of the pain, fear, and death behind a stone wall. Making him disappear.

But it still didn't change what Raven learned before he shut her out. And that's what had her insides twisting into knots, fueling fire to the thing that wanted nothing more than to kill. He was gaining power, and Raven couldn't control him, not with her emotions so out of control. Raven shut down. She needed to get home and away from her friends, away from the memory of the spirit who was dead. Yet so filled with life it had eclipsed even the brightest of hearts. The team was approaching.

"Dude, Raven, what did you do?" Beastboy asked concerned for his friend. Not so much the annoying half crazed villain curled up on the ground. Beastboy was met with two snarling red eyes. He screamed, not even bothering to try and make it sound manly. His only reaction was to get away from Raven. Only she was already leaving, stalking away into the darkness. BB regained his senses and went over to stand by Cyborg, who was looking into the darkened alley way with fear and confusion for his friend.

"What's her deal?" Beastboy asked to no one in particular. Cyborg continued to stare into the night.

* * *

><p>Danny was pissed. Raven had felt his emotions, the ones he so readily guarded. Sighing, Danny landed into the alley way behind his store becoming visible before letting his ghost side go. Allowing the steady thrum of his heart to beat beneath his chest. If only two sleepless nights weakened his control this much, then he was screwed. Danny thought, a scowl upon his face as he made his way to the front of the store, careful to avoid his still aching leg. He was never listening to Raven again. And Danny swore silently that he would never help the Titans again. After all, it's what she'd asked. <em>Damnit, the irony<em>. He thought as he pulled off his shoes and stepped onto the soft red carpet, locking the door behind him.

Fixit had already closed up. Although Danny couldn't fault him, it was well past midnight. _Crap, Fixit. _Danny completely forgot that he was originally trying to avoid the robot, and now Fixit knew he'd returned so Danny had to go downstairs and not just phase down into his room. Plus, it didn't help that his stomach decided to give a rather loud protest at the idea of skipping dinner. He let out a small growl as his feet padded down the stairs into his now shared apartment.

Fixit was seated in the living room. A book resting in his hands as he leisurely turned one of its slightly yellowed pages. Danny tried to ignore the blue eyes as he made his way towards the refrigerator. Pulling out some rice and chicken he'd eaten a couple nights ago, the cool gust of air reminding him of the Far Frozen Clan. Danny closed the door, a knife twisted in his gut at the memory of his friend. Plate in the microwave, Danny went to go join Fixit, who had never taken his eyes off of the raven haired teen.

"Sorry, got held up," Danny said trying to resist the urge to fidget in his seat.

"Normally you get home earlier, but leave periodically throughout the night. Did something happen to change this?" Fixit asked tilting his head like a curious puppy dog.

Damnit, so he had noticed that Danny had been leaving during the night for the past two days. Strangely though, Danny wasn't as worried as he normally would be. If anyone else had made that kind of statement, it was normally followed with looks of concern or disapproval. Fixit only held a look of acceptance and curiosity, nothing more. He only wanted to understand.

"Yeah, I got held up by some half-ass villain dressed as a light bulb robbing a bank truck," mumbled Danny getting up to scan for a possible book he wanted to read.

"If you are unharmed than that must mean that the Titans appeared to stop the light-bulbed villain," Fixit stated looking back down to his book. Danny couldn't help the humorless laugh that passed his lips. Or the way his eyes darkened as he grabbed a book from the shelf.

"Yeah, they showed up and played the game of heroes," Danny said his back facing Fixit as he peeked into the kitchen trying to see the microwave.

"You sound like you speak from experience. Is there such a strong burden on your heart that you simply cannot carry?" Fixit asked being very careful to leave his voice detached. He found it was the easiest way to get Danny to answer the questions burning inside his mind. Danny's entire body tensed as if he were about to be attacked, had his simple observation and question caused all of this? He watched as Danny turned to him, seating himself down onto the couch. Ice blue eyes careful to never meet Fixit's steady blue.

"Heh, something like that. Only I've never been a hero," Danny answered, but the hollowness to his voice told Fixit otherwise.

"You remind me of Hamlet," Fixit stated looking down to his book, which was opened to the infamous act three, scene three. Danny's eyes snapped up to Fixit's, irritation shining through them.

"Am not. I'm not some whiny idiot who couldn't just kill his father's brother for marrying his mom after Hamlet was plainly told 'Hamlet, Claudius killed your dear old dad to get the thrown and bang your mom.'" Danny huffed. This conversation was rapidly turning awkward. Fixit had the grace to blush, which surprised Danny, for he thought the robot didn't show such emotional displays.

"I forgot about that part," he said heatedly. "I was merely thinking over the fact that Hamlet seems to have been given a destiny that he cannot bear. And he is forever stuck to question himself and remain in indecision whether it be out of cowardliness or simply that he cannot kill. I do not know. But his burden. The task he is charged with, while I am sure is not related to you in any way. I can't help but feel that you too bear a burden. One that destiny has forced upon you, one in which you cannot bear. And it is slowly destroying you."

With this Fixit looked up to meet Danny's shocked eyes, his mouth parted slightly, his breaths coming in shallow gasps, his gaze never leaving Fixit but seemed to be in another place altogether. Fixit knew then that he had struck a powerful cord inside his friends' heart. But this realization came to a startling halt when the microwave went off, beeping shrilly in the air. Startling both Fixit and Danny, who seemed to come back to life and bolt out of his chair to retrieve his dinner. After grabbing a fork and a soda, Danny ate in silence, he finished and after cleaning up, left the kitchen for the living room to replace his book back on the shelf.

"I'm not Hamlet," Danny answered sternly. "And I certainly don't have a burden I can't bear, ah! Screw this, I'm going to bed." Flustered, Danny got as far as the pale archway when Fixit spoke again.

"The black door is not on the buildings schematics. Tell me, what is behind it?" Fixit asked, his monotone voice back full force and imploring. But his heart frantically beat under his chest, praying that his friend would answer.

"Nothing of importance. Night, Horatio," Danny said and with this he left for his room. Leaving Fixit sitting in the smooth black chair, the ornate door just a few feet away. His gaze traveled to the book, his mind drowning in thousands of questions. He gazed up at the door and then gracefully rose holding the book in hand.

"Good night, Hamlet," and with this he turned to knob.

* * *

><p>Raven didn't sleep the entire night. She had been too focused on getting 'it' back into the door, but so far all her struggles had been in vain. So now she was tired and no matter what she tried to do, she couldn't get her mind off of Phantom's final words. He was done helping them, and that knowledge tore its way through Raven's heart. Leaving her open to the monster inside that laughed at her pain. She needed to relax and calm down.<p>

So with this in mind, she headed down the hall for breakfast. The team was already up when the doors slid open to reveal the main room. Warm sunlight filtering through the windows, the smell of food filling the air, but for some reason it only smelled like tofu mixed with breakfast flavors. Apparently, Cyborg hadn't been too happy about that, as he was still complaining when Raven made her way down the stairs to the teapot resting on a burner, the smell of herbs puffing out in the smoke. She poured herself a small glass, letting her senses be taken away with the smoke, relieving the stress from her all night battle.

Beastboy approached Raven, a smile on his face as he offered her his home cooked tofu breakfast of eggs and bacon, which she declined. Raven didn't think her stomach could handle anything solid at the moment. But Beastboy kept on offering and even though he was only trying to be nice, Raven couldn't help the surge of emotions, her mind snapping back to Phantom. It was then she realized why her heart was jumping inside her chest, for the green changeling represented everything the Titans were. Innocent.

They were children, filled with hope and foolishness. And Phantom knew this, for he was everything they weren't. Raven felt her heart sink as she realized that she too was just as innocent as the rest of the Titans, despite her father. She understood nothing, and by asking Phantom to stop, by placing herself in the same position as him, she had twisted the knife in his heart. For he knew she was asking out of concern for him, not for a greater purpose. And he still listened. She didn't know why he listened, but that was why the Titans were hurting him. For Phantom, no matter what, would always help them. Only he wouldn't, not anymore, Raven had seen to that.

"C'mon just one little taste you could use a little food after the way you cooked Dr. Light," Beastboy said earnestly. He never noticed the slight trembling in Raven's hands as she fought the battle to kill.

"No!" Raven yelled lashing out at Beastboy. Her eyes blood red, her power blew up the breakfast right in his face. BB stood there confused and hurt as she stormed out of the room never once looking back. He was only trying to be nice.

"Maybe you should go apologize," Robin said suddenly appearing by Beastboy's side.

"Me? I'm not the one who just turned breakfast into a battle field!" BB replied indignantly, frustration on his face as he held the now empty skillet.

"Yeah, but after the weirdness that went down last night you should know better than to go messing with her," Cyborg said as he headed into the kitchen to go wash his plate. While Beastboy ranted his case to Cyborg, Robin's mind drifted away towards Phantom. What had he meant when he said he 'wouldn't,' what had Raven asked?

"At least she listens, I just kind of tune you out," Cyborg answered truthfully, his answer brought Robin back to the present and he looked to a now peeved Beastboy.

"Raven is complicated. There is much about her we are not meant to understand," Starfire said truthfully. After all, she was the one who spent the most time with her, you could only handle three guys for so long.

"Then how are we supposed to deal with her? How are we supposed to trust her?!" Beastboy fired back, he was met with only one statement.

"She's our friend. What more do we need to know?" Robin said. With this Beastboy left to go find Raven, he never saw the darkened look that crossed Robin's face.

Cyborg had finished up the dishes when he saw the look cross his friend's face.

"What's wrong?" Cy asked.

"While Raven is our friend, Beastboy's argument was sound, although it doesn't apply to her," he said, brows knitting together in frustration.

"What do you mean?" Star asked confused.

"I'm talking about Phantom. He's saved our lives countless times. So much so, that all of us have put our trust in him. But why should we? We don't even know who he is." And as he said this, the empty green gaze came back into his mind. Phantom's eyes were stone walls, capable enough to hide even the darkest of secrets, and yet Robin never remembered hesitating to take the outstretched hand. That sent a shiver up his spine.

"Phantom does not seem to be out to harm us," Starfire stated, she didn't understand why Robin was questioning Phantom. All he had done so far was help.

"Rob's got a point, Star. We don't know for sure if he's on our side, and if he isn't, well, you've seen how powerful he is," Cyborg said seriously although the words tasted bitter in his mouth. For he still shuddered at the decent tongue lashing he'd received when he temporarily quit the team, and the steel determination on Phantom's face to stop the Beast. How could he be evil?

"Cyborg, have you found any information on Danny?" Robin asked changing the subject, not only for their sake, but for his as well.

"Nah man, but I'll keep looking," with this Cyborg left. Leaving Robin alone with a still confused Starfire.

"Please, I do not understand why would Phantom help us only to hurt us later?" her voice ringing through the silence.

"I don't know, Star," Robin answered truthfully. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looking up he met two strong forest green eyes that left no room for doubt at what she believed.

"Phantom is someone we should trust," with this Starfire left, leaving Robin alone in the bright room.

* * *

><p>Beastboy had made it to Raven's room, heart steadily beginning to race in his chest. The plain silver door did nothing to ease his growing nervousness. Quietly BB stepped closer, until he was only an arm's length away. He reached out and lightly knocked on the door.<p>

"Oh well, nobody's home," and with this he turned to leave, but was met with the solid metal that was Cyborg. Who didn't look happy at all, as the little grass stain stepped back rubbing his head in pain.

"You might want to knock a little louder," he said spinning Beastboy around to face the door, nearly face planting him in it. Only Beastboy didn't knock, so Cyborg did, and after three rough taps the steel door fell down with a resounding clang, leaving both BB and Cy in states of utter horror as they looked down where it now lay.

"Now we both have to apologize," the shock not quite wearing off as BB stared at the small dust cloud forming around the door. _So much for doing what Robin wanted,_ Cyborg thought as Beastboy walked into the pitch black room.

The room held one window, the far wall painted black as swirls of purple the color of violet, flowed through it. Raven's bed was a deep purple, its circular form fitting easily into the design of Raven's hood that looked as if it were a raven encompassing everything their friend was. While her room was dark it held no oppression.

Everything was in order from the bookshelves, her dresser, to the theater masks sitting on a tall podium. Her room was lit with shadow lanterns hanging from the ceiling, incense filling the room in a calm scent, along with the pale yellow light, her room held the sense of thought. As if everything had meaning and a person needn't step inside to see the intricacies Raven took when she created her home. It was also why Cyborg didn't want to go in, everything in this room was about Raven. Everything she most likely didn't want them to know. It was exactly why Beastboy entered right away.

"Looks like Halloween came early this year," observed BB not bothering to notice the subtle designs that Cyborg could see plain as day.

"Were in Raven's room. We should _not_ be in Raven's room. She doesn't let anybody in here _ever_." and while Cyborg was panicking the whole time, he made sure to whisper out of fear of Raven's wrath. He practically tiptoed to Beastboy's side who quite frankly, looked unaffected by the knowledge that Raven was probably going to kill them.

"So, this is our big chance to find out more about her," he said waving Cyborg off as he made his way over to the deep burgundy dresser, where a hand carved mirror lay on top.

"For instance, check out this beauty mirror. Who would have thought Raven spends time sprucing? Ah! Is that a zit?" Beastboy yelled taking a closer look into the sliver mirror which no longer held his reflection, but four blood red eyes with murderous intent. He screamed, dropping the mirror back onto the dresser, trying to get away from the blood red claw that had appeared out of it, wrapping itself around him. Beastboy's struggles were pointless and every inch he got closer to the mirror.

"C'mon B, we really should get out of…huh?" the second Cy turned around he stopped his train of thought and ran over to his friend who was now half way submerged into the mirror, feet flaying in the air.

"Hey!" yelled Cy as he grabbed onto his friends purple boot and pulled with all his strength, but soon Beastboy and Cyborg found themselves falling into the mirror as it hit the soft grey carpet with a thud.

* * *

><p>When Danny awoke for the fifth time, he finally decided it was time to get up, seeing as how it was now eight in the morning. Looking at the clock, Danny couldn't help but let out an exhausted sigh, no doubt this was going to result in another question from Fixit. Only when he left, Danny found his apartment strangely empty. This didn't worry him, for he assumed Fixit was probably upstairs either reading or battling the psychotic coffee maker. With this in mind, he grabbed a poptart from the pantry and headed upstairs to open the store. Only when he got there, Fixit was nowhere in sight. He wasn't on a couch and the coffee maker looked untouched.<p>

"Fixit?" Danny called, ignoring the fear constricting his chest as he wandered through the shelves. It wasn't long before Danny broke into a run. Bounding up the stairs, jumping so that one foot momentarily landed on the carved railing, before he pushed off and landed on top of one of his bookshelves showing him the entire store to be empty. Dread swept through him. Fixit wasn't here. And the foreboding sense that he had never left and was 'there' took hold of his thoughts.

"Fixit!"

Danny didn't know when he'd started moving again. All he knew was that now he stood in front of the black door and wrenching it open he raced into his lab.

* * *

><p>Fixit hadn't been sure what to expect when he opened the door, but this certainly wasn't it. He was in a lab, tables filled with beakers and lining the walls were different machines scattered about, and at the far back wall stood a steel door. It was closed, the yellow and black lines warning people to stay away, but Fixit wasn't like other people.<p>

Quietly, he floated across the white tile floor his blue cloak not even stirring dust. Once across he turned to observe the room, it was spacious and another hallway branched off, making Fixit curious as to where it led, but right now the steel door held all of his attention. It was a good eight feet tall and was reinforced with heavy bolts. Again Fixit noticed that it was in the shape of a hexagon.

Danny did say that his parents were inventors. _Was this their lab? But why was it in Danny's house and not his parents'?_ Fixit scanned the area and somehow he got the feeling that this place didn't belong to his parents. After all, when Fixit had asked Danny about them he received the impression that they had long since passed away. And looking at the clean, bright, empty lab, only seemed to reinforce that Danny was truly alone.

Fixit let his eyes close in grief, for somewhere deep in his heart he had been holding onto the hope that they were alive, but now…a sigh escaped his lips, as the blue eyes opened once more to gaze at the barred off door. He wanted to open this as well, and so Fixit set his book down on a nearby table that held a metal belt that looked like it locked around its wearer. Although why, Fixit had no idea.

He disregarded the belt and looked to the key lock next to the door. Filters and strange knobs all giving off important readings on what the door was and how to maintain it. Fixit diligently began typing away his eyes going red, hacking into the mainframe until with a click, the doors opened revealing a swirling green energy as the smoke cleared. Fixit stood there in awe. For this wasn't just a door, it was a portal, although to where Fixit had no idea.

Thousands of new questions raced through his mind while his eyes gazed at the strange portal. Casting him in a green aura, a striking contrast to his ocean blue eyes. Fixit had two choices: one, close the door and walk away, to never bring up what he saw, unless Danny was ready for it. Or two, enter into the portal to gather the answers he so readily wanted to understand, so as to ease his friend's pain. Either way, both choices held great consequences and equal benefits. And with one last look at the book sitting on the sliver counter top, the choice was easy to make. Steeling his resolve, Fixit stepped through the green energy, the portal closing once he did.

The swirling red vortex seemed to go on forever until, to BB's surprise, it opened dropping them on a hard jagged rock, Cyborg landing on top of him. Shakily they stood and watched as the red swirling portal closed leaving them standing on the floating rock.

* * *

><p>"Ah, man," Cyborg said as he took in where they had been sent. The place held no light. Only darkness surrounded by red stars, the rocks were floating as if they didn't belong to gravity. All of the plant life was dead, the place seemed to go on forever and yet, the noise they made never carried, as if they were in a dampened room.<p>

"I told you we never should have gone in Raven's room!" BB shouted, although Cyborg didn't get mad seeing as how it was BB's fear mechanism.

"Where are we?" Beastboy asked trying to calm down, pacing the perimeter of the rock they were stuck on while Cyborg tapped into his sensors.

"You're asking the wrong robot. My sensors must be on the blink 'cause they're saying we're in Titan's Tower."

"_Right_... So how do we get back?" He asked coming over to stand by Cyborg.

"Guess we start walking," Cyborg said.

"C'mon, I'm serious we're on a rock in the middle of…"

Beastboy never got to finish as a loud rumbling interrupted him. Rocks forming together to create a long narrow path in the black space.

"Oh…" BB said his head swimming in confusion.

"If sending us to weirds-ville is Raven's idea of a joke, I am _so_ not laughing," BB added as he and Cyborg made their way down the long path. They never noticed the raven sitting on the log of a dead tree. His four red eyes watching their every move.

"Hey, she didn't send us here. You're the one who went snooping in her room and popping zits in her magic mirror!" Came Cy's frustrated reply as he made sure not to fall off the path while glaring down at Beastboy.

"Who booby traps a mirror?" He replied indignantly.

"Maybe it wasn't a trap. Maybe it's Raven's way home, maybe this is where she's from," Cy said his voice tapering off as he looked to a giant red star that seemed to once have been a sun.

"definitely creepy enough," agreed BB.

"_Turn Back,"_ a melodious voice sang through the darkness, causing Cy and BB to jump in fear. Both searching for the voice.

"Like I was saying…" BB tried to say when the voice became three and looking up, they saw three small baby birds with big red eyes as they spoke in harmonious voices sitting on a stone archway.

"_Turn back, turn back, turn back," _they kept singing over and over.

"Sweet. Bet'cha they can tell us how to get home," Beastboy said happily, approaching the dead tree they were now sitting on.

"Careful, how do we know they're not a threat?" Cyborg asked as his friend turned to look at him, a confident smile on his face.

"Hello? Remember me, Beastboy, if they were dangerous I'd know."

That earned him an eye roll from Cyborg. BB turned to speak to the little birds.

"Hey little guys, my buddy and I were wondering if…" the archway was empty. The little birds all on the rocks below looking up at Beastboy as more of them joined in the same song. Their wide eyes turned into four, and they let out monstrous roars, their beaks now holding sharp serrated teeth. Beastboy ran for his life as Cyborg hit the ground to avoid the now viscous birds trying to dive bomb him.

* * *

><p>Danny spotted it right away. The only out of place object in his organized lab. The book. The same one Fixit had been reading last night. Danny's heart lurched in his chest, hammering to the song of panic.<p>

"Fixit?" vainly he called out even though Danny knew Fixit wasn't here either. No, he had gone into the Ghost Zone. Walking up to the computer Danny hoped that maybe Fixit had set it to its last coordinates and that he was only in Clockwork's Tower chatting up the Ghost of Time, who no doubt would get along great with Fixit. But he hadn't, no, Fixit merely opened the portal and stepped through, to God knows where, and if Danny went through to retrieve him and got caught…the treaty would be null and void and everything would come crashing down, and his life would be thoroughly screwed.

Not that this mattered to Danny at the moment, as he tried to control the panic and irritation at Fixit for going into his lab…and for being smart enough to hack into his computer system. _Stupid overly smart robot, _Danny thought as he prepped the portal to open, while he grabbed a small device he had modeled after his parents design to detect real world items. Praying that his friend was somewhere his enemies weren't. The portal opened, two blue rings turned Danny into Phantom, and as he approached the door, he held his breath and prayed that no one was on the other side to see him as he flew into the portal to search for Fixit.

* * *

><p>Beastboy and Cyborg weren't sure how long they'd been dodging the evil birds. While screaming like little girls. All they were doing now was trying not to get pecked to death which was why Cyborg was riding on top of a green lama, firing off his sonic cannon at the red eyed fiends. Although him and BB didn't exactly pay attention to the fact that they were on a narrow stone bridge floating in space, which Cyborg promptly shot when some birds tried to get Beastboy's feet. The distinct noise of cracking rock filled the air as BB and Cy stood there in shock and the rock gave out beneath their feet.<p>

"Ahhh!" Cy yelled as he gripped BB by the neck with one hand. The other holding onto the cliff to stop them from falling into the black void.

"Hey guys!" Raven called, Cyborg turned his head to see Ravens feet as she looked down at her friends' struggles.

"What's up?" smiling, while trying not to laugh at the crazy look Cyborg was giving her.

"I don't know any more…" Cy said his voice high pitched and seriously freaked out when he felt gravity shift, and looking at the rocks he came crashing down. BB right on top of him, Raven laughing the whole time. Neither boy managed to wipe the _oh-god-what-is-happening,_ look off of their faces.

"Raven! How did? Where are? What just…why are you wearing _Pink_?" BB managed to finally get out, his voice appalled that the Titan girl would even wear such a color. Raven laughed once more at her friend's silliness and looking to him, her violet eyes shined in merriment.

"Cause it's my favorite color." Speaking like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It is?" Beastboy asked feeling like all notions of reality were suddenly false…Raven liked… _Pink_?!

"Look, I'd love to talk fashion, but I don't suppose you know how to get home?" Cyborg asked although seeing Raven in pink wasn't as strange as gravity deciding to flip flop. Or being attacked by black birds just like the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. No, defiantly not as weird, but seeing Raven so happy…that was another issue entirely.

"The forbidden door. But you don't want to go there, not now," she said, her mood not changing in the slightest. Beastboy and Cyborg looked at each other for one moment before both teens looked back at their friend.

"Uh, yeah we do," they said to Raven like she was crazy.

"Kay! But don't say I didn't warn ya!" and turning around, Raven ran towards the stone arch that's design looked similar to that of her now pink hood, making airplane noises, her arms spread wide like a child. Leaving Cyborg and BB shell shocked.

"Have you ever seen her... this happy?" Cy asked.

"Dude, I didn't even know Raven could _do_ happy," BB replied as they walked underneath the archway, disappearing into another part of the strange world. And stepping through the door, was like walking into the polar opposite of where they had been. For the sky was lemon drop yellow, and the mountains and grass were bubble gum pink.

"Now where are we?!" yelled Cyborg as he looked at the purple stone path, a strawberry floating past him. His eyes were just as wide as BB's, this day kept getting weirder and weirder.

"I think this might be where air fresheners come from," BB replied both looked to Raven in her pink cape as she busted out laughing. This dwarfed even the happy go lucky atmosphere that surrounded them.

"You're laughing…" Cy tried to say.

"At one of _my_ jokes?!" BB finished, this only caused Raven to laugh harder as she looked to her friends.

"Sure, I've always thought you were funny BB. But hey, looks aren't everything!" Laughing at her joke Raven walked off, Cy and BB exchanging looks before following her to the next stone archway.

* * *

><p>Raven had been meditating on the roof when Starfire and Robin found her, concern in their eyes.<p>

"Raven, you okay? We stopped by your room and the doors been knocked down," Robin said as her violet eyes opened and laughter burst through her lips. Startling not only the two Titans, but Raven as well, who had been trying to get her emotions under control in order to close the door.

"I need to be alone," she said standing and quickly making her way back to the room. Her hood hiding her face. Star and Robin simply stood there in shock.

"Many of your earthly ways are still strange to me but that was, just plain freaky …correct?" She asked. Star's gaze turning to Robin who looked concerned and thoughtful. Silently, he nodded, the two heading for the door, Robin's mind racing. For Raven hadn't started acting this weird since last night, but as he thought of this, it started before that. When all of them met Danny, heck, even Starfire had been changed by the raven haired teen. Robin stopped in the corridor, Starfire giving him a questioning look.

"I'll catch up. I need to do some research," he said and with this he headed off for his room not waiting for her reply. He needed to know who Danny was and he couldn't wait for Cyborg to find something when he needed to know now.

Raven entered her room before her hand glowed a brilliant black. The door shinning in the same energy, as she lifted it up to reattach it to its hinges. Silently, she walked around her room, nothing appeared to have been disturbed until she came to the mirror lying on the floor, and Raven knew. Her heart went into double time, she had been so focused on fighting 'it' she hadn't been paying attention to…Damnit she was going to kill Cyborg and Beastboy! But in that moment the only word that passed her lips was "no" as Raven gazed down in fear to the hand carved mirror. Its blood red gem glittering in the faint light.

* * *

><p>Fixit hadn't been sure what to expect on the other side, but this wasn't it. For where he was seemed to go on forever, the sky was a deep forest green, purple and green clouds swirling all around him, as if they were liquid. It was then he looked down and realized that he wasn't standing on ground but air. Only it wasn't air. It felt solid and when Fixit realized that he wasn't going to fall, he looked up again and was hit by the reality of where he was. For the place held no boundaries, no rules of nature, it felt alive and dead all at the same time.<p>

This was the place Danny's portal had sent him. Fear suddenly took hold in Fixit's heart and looking back, he was met with only endless sky. The swirling portal energy had long since closed. Fixit wasn't sure how long he stood there floating in the liquid sky, but eventually once his heart settled he began to move. He needed to see if there were other people who could help him get back…mainly because he seriously needed to talk to Danny about having portals in his basement that took you to where, well, wherever here was.

Still, as he moved through the sky the air felt cool against his face. Its liquid form brushing across him and vaguely he wondered if this is what it felt like to be submerged under water. To have the green energy flow across him in waves flowing out in rings and collapsing into his back as he continued further into the unknown territory. While the feeling was not unpleasant, Fixit knew that soon he would tire. For while there appeared to be no gravity, the heavy liquid air seemed to be the thing keeping him afloat. Thus proving difficult to move through, he wondered how long Danny would be able to last if he were here. And then he felt fear.

For what if Danny had never entered the portal? He banished this thought instantly for he didn't need to start hyperventilating. As he floated through the air he began to notice what appeared to be a floating mountain covered in trees and rocks. Fixit decided it was worth a shot. After all, the strange purple sun seemed to be slowly moving downwards and he figured that in earth time it was probably nearing lunch. Not that it mattered he didn't require food, but it meant that by now Danny would hopefully be searching for him. He was nearing the mountain top. Fixit never noticed the white stone was carved out in the shape of a skull.

* * *

><p>"She ditched us! I can't believe Raven ditched us! Next time I see her it's not going to be pretty!"BB said frustrated as he and Cyborg made their way to the top of the purple mountain where a stone archway stood. Black birds with four red eyes sitting perched on the trees never moving, watching the two teens step underneath the stone, emerging back into the black world with red stars. They were beyond freaked out. The happy place seeming a lot better than this dark abyss.<p>

"Hey, I know where we are! We're in that place where I didn't know we were before!" Cyborg yelled not bothering to hide his panic and confusion. Both promptly screamed when Raven appeared before them. Emerging from the ground dressed in a pale gray cloak, her hood down allowing them to see her violet hair and sad mournful eyes. Beastboy's aggravation got the better of him.

"Where were you? Shopping for robes?!" tears formed in Raven's eyes as she backed away from a now worried Beastboy.

"Whoa, easy, I didn't mean it." He said trying to comfort her as she avoided his eyes. Cyborg cut through his apology.

"Hey! That's the forbidden door right, Raven?" He asked pointing to a faraway arch connected to a massive barren wasteland. Raven meekly nodded as BB watched her. His eyes still filled with concern. Cyborg didn't see her plight.

"C'mon ya'll,we're almost…ahhhh!" he cried out as massive stone walls appeared, twisting and turning, ending and beginning. It was a maze. And BB tried to see the end of it flying high in the sky as a green crow, only to be shot down by magical electricity. Crashing back down to the ground rubbing his head, Cyborg activated his sonic cannon.

"Ah man, we gotta get out of here!" He yelled firing at the walls which remained undamaged. Raven all the while cowering in the corner until he finished.

"It's a maze. You can't get out, you have to go through. I can show you the way. But when we reach the end, you won't like me anymore. He already doesn't like me," she said gesturing over to BB who looked at her hoping that she really didn't believe that.

"C'mon, that's not true," he said and he really believed that, but Raven had already walked around the corner leaving a now ticked off Beastboy and a confused and worried Cyborg.

"Gee, Raven, moody much," BB said trying to hide his concern.

"Yeah, she's like a whole different person," Cyborg noted as he rubbed the back of his neck in confusion.

* * *

><p>Danny had searched the entire upper half of the Ghost Zone nearer the friendlier ghosts. But now, he was drawing closer to where his parents' old portal used to be, and closer to his enemies. He ignored the urge to turn back around. Instead, choosing to hide behind the floating doors and the occasional small island as his ghost sense began detecting more and more ghosts. But his heart dropped into the bottomless sky as his detector went off near Skulker Island, indicating a rather large Real World item.<p>

"Shit, how am I supposed to get him out of there?" Flying around the perimeter, careful to avoid the sensors that were hidden underneath the rocks, Danny spotted Fixit sitting on a rock not twenty feet away in an open field, oblivious to the danger. This was going to be tricky.

"And remember the time I called you both immature pinheads, I'm sorry for that too. And also…" Raven apologized as she rounded another corner in the maze with two very exasperated Titans trailing behind her.

"For the hundredth, millionth time…" Beastboy said, Cyborg sighing in frustration,

_"__We forgive you!"_ They both yelled trying to get Raven to just understand, and shut up. But she merely continued to stare at them. A lost look in her eyes. She opened the door so they could exit the maze revealing two stone statues with four red eyes on each side, one's face happy, the other face sad, each with only one arm and beyond them the final door that would lead home.

"That's the end," she said dread filling her voice, neither teen noticed.

"Sweet!"

"Alright Raven!" Cyborg said as he and Beastboy made their way forward. The statues came to life, slamming together creating one being. A face on either side, twin swords appearing in their hands as the eyes smiled maliciously at them.

"What?" Both Titans screamed. They thought that kind of stuff only happened in movies.

"No way." BB said as they looked to Raven who was cowering in a corner, looking at both of them with fear in her eyes.

"Told you, you wouldn't like me when we got here," was all she said, disappearing into the wall. The statue began to advance on them.

* * *

><p>Robin was pouring through thousands of city files, searching for anything about this kid. Nothing was turning up, no paper, no birth certificate, nothing. Everything was classified as confidential to protect his citizenship, but that only served to annoy Robin. Stupid red tape.<p>

Finally, with nothing to go on, Robin did the only rule bending thing he could think of. Hack into the building department of Jump City, sifting through the online documents until he found what he was looking for: Danny's store ownership. Robin couldn't hold back the surprised gasp, this kid was adopted by Vlad Masters?! He was almost as rich as Bruce! As Robin continued to read the document, he was disappointed to find that Danny's legal name was not printed on the copy, which only made Robin more suspicious. Why did Danny even own a bookstore in the first place? So intent was he on digging up clues, he never noticed the door opening as Starfire entered, concern on her face.

"May we go see if she is feeling better?" Star asked, Robin jumped in the air, turning to see Star. Once he was sure his heart was back in the right place, he answered.

"She said she wanted to be alone," with this he turned back to the screen. Star began to pace the room. _Just who are you Danny? _Robin thought as he gazed at the document on the big screen.

* * *

><p>The statue was advancing towards them and nothing seemed to be working, Cyborg's sonic cannon had no effect. All he could do was dodge the flying swords as Beastboy went after the thing's eyes to no avail. He was caught by the 'sad' faces arms its 'happy' face turned towards the now normal Beastboy being held in its grip. He was going to enjoy crushing him.<p>

"Yo, eight eyes! Hi Yay!" a green cloak girl screamed as she came flying through the air, her foot connecting to the statues heads sending it to the ground, the girl standing straight in pride, knocking BB out of its grip.

"Woo hoo! In your faces!' Raven screamed, her dark green cape billowing around her. She was strong and confident. Effortlessly dodging the swords, creeping towards the statue, but staying out of striking distance waiting for the perfect moment. The stature opened its long arms and Raven knew it was time. Leaping into the air, she struck the statue from the top its head with two fingers, dragging them down splitting the thing cleanly in half. It parted like the red sea and Raven stood, throwing her fist up in victory. While Cyborg and Beastboy stood there looking like they were having whiplash from how many times Raven's personality seemed to change, as well as her clothes.

"Yeah! High fives, c'mon!" Beastboy's mouth hanging in a giant 'o' shape at Raven's cocky voice, he was losing his mind.

"What is your deal? First you nuke breakfast, then finally laugh at my jokes, then you're all weepy, and now you're a marine? Make up your mind! Who are you?!" He yelled at a now ticked off marine green Raven. With this, the other two Ravens appeared, one in bubble gum pink. A smile on her face. The other Raven a timid look in her eyes her grey cloak hiding her body. And the green Raven simply looked ticked.

_"__I'm Raven,"_ all three stated, now BB and Cy felt like a nuke had just been thrown at them. But with all of these emotions swirling around they never noticed the black birds congregating on the blackened trees. Their eyes glowing blood red, watching the teens below figure out what was going on.

* * *

><p>Danny had disabled the sensors near Fixit and currently was setting a trap on the far side of the island. Praying that Fixit hadn't moved from his spot otherwise they were screwed. Finished, Danny lit the small fuse he'd attached to a motion sensor and flew as fast as he could back towards Fixit. Relief flooded him. <em>Good, he hasn't moved. <em>Danny tensed and waited for the loud boom that came shortly in the distance, stirring the trees and rocks and a ghost he knew was certainly prowling the area. Danny shot out from underneath the rocks flying straight for Fixit who had risen to his feet in alarm. Danny stopped just short of plowing into him in his eagerness to leave.

"C'mon, we have to go, it isn't safe!" he said grabbing Fixit by his long bell robe sleeve and pulling on his wrist. Fixit stayed firmly in place.

"I do not know you. Why should I trust what you say for you are the first person I have met," Danny felt annoyed at this. Leave it to Fixit to state the obvious. Damn, if they didn't hurry Skulker would show up realizing that the blast was only a distraction.

"Damnit, would you trust me!" He snapped, giving a sharp tug his glowing green eyes flashing in annoyance. He managed to drag Fixit closer to the edge, but in the moment their eyes met Fixit's eyes widened in surprise, his breath catching.

_"__Danny?"_ while it came out as a statement to Fixit, it was really a question. Until the unearthly being tensed and met his eyes, something akin to fear, astonishment and pride passing too quick for Fixit to accurately pin down. Fixit wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he knew this was Danny. Although everything was wrong, except the eyes. The green eyes couldn't fool him, for they held Danny's wisdom and right now, fear.

"Yes, now _please _we have to go!" and with this Fixit let himself be dragged into the sky. The liquid atmosphere seeming easier to move through now that Danny surrounded him in his white aura. The water seemed to react naturally to the strange energy encompassing them. It continuously kept flowing outwards, never returning to Danny or Fixit as they made their escape. Neither noticed the black shadow hiding behind a floating door. It had seen everything. A smirk plastering on the thing's lips as it made its way back to the master, whose eyes lit up in happiness as he and his shadow began to speed off towards the prison to alert the warden of Danny Phantom's return.

* * *

><p>Beastboy was thunderstruck. There were three Ravens. He needed to lie down, but Cyborg's brain was already processing the information and came to the conclusion BB never would have considered, well until he said it.<p>

"Happy, timid, brave," he said as pink Raven walked over to Beastboy who was recovering from the shock.

"You forgot dopey," she giggled while choosing to ignore BB's flustered look.

"Different sides of Raven's personality. We're not in Raven's home…" Cy said seriously, BB catching on.

"We're in her head," BB finished.

"And I want you out," Raven said dropping out from the sky. The three emotions disappearing as she walked forward. Her blue hood just barely hiding her anger and annoyance at her friends.

"That mirror you found is for meditation. It's a portal into my Mind! _Not a toy!"_ practically growling the last part out, directing it at Beastboy, who she knew was the one who activated the mirror. He laughed nervously apologizing to Raven. The red eyed birds were done observing. All of them taking flight to the now red sky, making all three Titans stare up, realization dawning on Raven's face. It was coming.

"You have to go, now."

"Hold up, what's going on here?" Cy asked Raven turning to meet his gaze.

"Last night, something got loose, something bad," she said her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh no you don't. I've had it with this mystery girl routine. I want to know exactly what we're talking about here!" Beastboy said upset. Raven merely looked like she wanted to punch him, until a roar broke through the silence as the ravens converged. A demon with red skin and white hair, with four hell born eyes emerged out of them, towering over even the tallest skyscraper as he yelled into the sky.

"Hatred shall Rule!"

"Let's just say… I have issues with my father," was all Raven could say as she, Beastboy and Cyborg backed away from the demon with horses hoofs for legs.

* * *

><p>Fixit was silent as he let Danny pull him through the sky. He was still trying to process what he learned. This was Danny. This, person with white hair and black jumpsuit was his friend. Although he had similarities, Fixit wouldn't have been able to figure it out. For the white haired teen seemed so different. He was tense, and every fiber of him radiated power, even his voice echoed in his throat. But his eyes, they were the only thing that remained the same. For they looked like they had the night before, was this the burden he was carrying? Fixit never got to ask for suddenly there came a loud roar. Danny diving out of the sky as hundreds of beings dressed in police wear surrounded them, firing green energy at them .<p>

"Crap!" Danny yelled as he grabbed hold of Fixit's shoulders and pulled him closer. A green barrier surrounding them both. Fixit's heart raced as he watched thousands of blasts hit the barrier and bounce off. He began to worry if Danny would tire, but looking over he was met with a steel gaze looking past all of the weapons searching for someone. Fixit found his breath was evening out, for whatever was happening, he could tell it wouldn't hurt his friend.

_"__Enough!"_ Danny yelled, Fixit winching as the teens voice reverberated through the air. Everything stopped, but Danny didn't lower the shield. Silently, Fixit turned his head back to the creatures floating high in the air, all looking at them with hate and fear. He gasped, they didn't look human. Their skin was a sick green, all of their eyes blood red, they didn't even have feet, only tails. The only thought that crossed his mind was death. These things were dead. It was then, that Fixit felt it. The endless cold that had seeped under his skin, sending chills up his spine. Danny held no warmth, he was just like them. A ghost. Ghosts, these dead things were ghosts.

"What is going on? Danny, why are you dead?" he asked trying to make his voice strong, but it only came out a whisper. Danny never moved, but he felt the hand on his shoulder tense.

"Danny," Fixit tried, he wanted answers!

"Not now," came the stern reply, it was layered with stress and Fixit didn't need to think of a reason why. But still, he found himself wanting to know. His thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as an eight foot tall man dressed as a jailer walked forward. His green eyes smiling, his skeleton face pulled back into a smirk.

"Well, what do we have here, a ghost punk and unauthorized personnel, that's against the rules. But you even being here is against the rules, isn't that right _halfa," _The man dressed in white spat, sneering down at Fixit and Danny.

"It was an accident. My friend just wandered into the portal, the treaty is still intact Walker. I'll just take him and leave," Fixit couldn't help the bats in his stomach as he took in what Danny was saying. What treaty? What was a halfa? Not to mention the guilt that filled him for Danny had apparently broken said unknown treaty to come and save his ass. Fixit's heart fell when the skeleton ghost burst out laughing.

"No can do punk, you broke the rules and by the law, it's time I made your life a living hell again. Guards, arrest Danny Phantom! Oh, and his friend as well!" Fixit watched in horror as the ghosts in police uniforms all pulled out a separate weapon, one that looked like a stun gun and fired. The energy was pure white and when it hit the barrier, Danny screamed out in pain and they both were thrown back a good ten feet. Over the deafening ringing in his ears, Fixit heard the man named Walker laugh and say something inaudible. But as he turned his head towards Danny, he knew what Walker had said. That the barrier protecting them wouldn't last. Out of the corner of his ocean blue eyes he saw the guards' fire once more.

* * *

><p>Her father was gaining on them. As they ran to the last portal, her father attacked, his four eyes shooting hell's fire at them. She had to save her friends! Raven watched as the attack missed Cyborg and Beastboy by two feet. The blast sending them flying back hitting the ground, hard. She flew to their sides anger burning in her eyes as she looked towards her father.<p>

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A black barrier formed from her hands, shielding Cyborg and Beastboy as her father fired again. The barrier protecting them as well as the stone carved door. Raven grunted in pain, it wouldn't be long now till he broke through her magic, and when he did, her friends would die. Her mind screamed in panic as sweat beaded her brow…she needed to think of something, fast.

Robin was still staring at the screen. He couldn't find anything on Danny! Frustrated, he slammed his hands down onto the table, taking this as her cue she approached Robin.

"May we now see if Raven is better?" Starfire asked.

"She wanted to be alone," Robin said ignoring her annoyed and crest fallen face. Man, where was Cyborg? Hopefully he was having more luck than he was. Wait, didn't Raven say he graduated high school at the age of fifteen? They normally posted those kinds of things in the papers. Renewed Robin continued his search.

Raven's eyes were complete white. Her hands swirling in black magic as she felt the heat pouring out of the demons attack, time was running out.

"Get out of my mind, now!" She begged looking at her friends. The forbidden door had finally opened, when and how Raven wasn't very sure, but the red energy swirled underneath its parting wings designed just like her hood. It promised safety, but BB and Cyborg never moved an inch towards it, they weren't going to abandon her.

"And leave you alone with That?!" BB shouted pointed at the towering red and black demon.

"Not gonna happen!" Cy finished. Raven was slowly being dragged back. Her shoes digging into the moist earth, her eyes closing in concentration. Even speaking was taking its toll on her.

"It's my, problem. I'll deal with it. If I lose you'll be stuck in here forever!" She screamed not telling them that they could all very likely die in here as well. Her father was fed up. Stopping, he formed a miniature sun in his hands throwing it relentlessly at his daughter's barrier. She screamed, her magic faded, dissolving in the red plasma hell that was his power. As the smoke cleared the demon noticed that his daughter still stood, her arms in that of a strong 'x' protecting her from the attack. On pure adrenaline she turned back to her friends, her hand filled with blackness, she pushed them back towards the door away from her. They needed to leave.

"Go!" She ordered not sparing a backwards glance as she soared through the sky. Blasting her father when she could, dodging when she couldn't. Raven never noticed that Cyborg and Beastboy hadn't gone through the portal, but instead stood and watched their friend and when Cy and BB's eyes met, neither one held any doubts as to what they had to do.

* * *

><p>"Danny… Danny!"<p>

"Huh, what?" Danny said shaking his head to try and stop the ringing in his ears, what hit him? Groggily, he turned his head to see Fixit shaking him. Fear on his face, Danny saw flashes of light shooting towards his shield. Realization dawned on him, and quickly he dropped the barrier and teleported him and Fixit away to a nearby door, they watched the attack connect to green air.

"No! Find him! Find Danny Phantom, that punk already owes me ten thousand years!" Walker screamed as the guards dispersed throughout the Ghost Zone. Danny sighed, ignoring the questioning gaze that was burning a hole in the back of his head. Silently, he turned and looked at Fixit and shook his head, waiting until he was sure Fixit got the message. Once he did, Danny grabbed his arm again and flew off hiding behind doors every time a patrol came to close. Fixit hadn't been sure how far they'd gotten, but when it had been quiet for what he assumed was five minutes the questions he had held at bay couldn't be contained.

"Why are you dead?"

"It's complicated."

"How long have you been dead?"

"For three years."

"What treaty was Walker talking about?"

"Again, complicated."

"…Is this the burden that is killing you?"

Danny actually stopped at this. The water cool air crashing back into them. What Fixit hadn't been expecting was the look of amusement in Danny's eyes which slightly miffed the robot.

"What? No, why would being dead be a burden…o.k. half dead technically. Don't ask, I'll tell you later once we get out of here, preferably before we start the next world war."

Fixit raised an eyebrow at this, was he being serious?

"I'm being sarcastic."

"You're a horrible friend," Fixit stated looking at the endless sky. The purple sun had long since set strangely in the East, casting the sky in a sap green hue.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly the picture perfect friend as well," Danny stated and with this he resumed flying, the corners of Fixit's mouth turning upwards. Danny had just referred to him as a friend.

As they continued through the night, steadily the landscape began to change to shadows of white which Fixit realized was snow until they came to a giant swirling mountain chasm that seemed to go down instead of up.

"Where are we going?" Fixit asked.

"To see a friend, and to get directions on how to get home," Danny said as he and Fixit flew down to the realm of the Far Frozen Clan.

* * *

><p>Raven kept attacking. Ignoring her screaming muscles and protesting magic, she needed to fight. As she aimed for her father's back, she was startled when he turned at a faster speed not remotely possible, and his eyes fired at her sending her into his arms.<p>

"Rage shall consume you!"

Pain. And blackness was all she could feel, her eyes glazed over trying to overcome the desire to just…

"Yo! Sounds like somebody needs a time out." Cyborg said pointing his sonic cannon at the demon from where he stood on the cliff. He fired directly at the soft flesh in between the knuckles of the demon's hand. It screamed out in pain, taking another blast directly to the chest, losing his grip on Raven. He tumbled down into the abyss of red stars and darkness. She was falling, Raven vaguely registered this, but it couldn't hurt right? Not like this. Only it would, and she could do nothing to stop it, it was then she felt the strong claw of a green hawk gripping her shoulder. And looking up she knew it was Beastboy, gliding the two of them down onto the hard bedrock, transforming back into his normal self, smiling in relief to his friend. Raven only felt confusion.

"You saved me? I thought you didn't like me?" Raven asked gazing into his light hazel green eyes. The only thing about him that wasn't completely green. How had Raven missed that?

"Thought you didn't like me," he said smiling while helping her up. They were interrupted by Cyborg who was a good distance away, staring down into the abyss.

"Yo, I like both of you, now get your butts over here!" He yelled as Raven's father stood up.

"Feel my fury!" He roared, attacking Cyborg who barely managed to dodge the attack. Raven and Beastboy joined and soon the three Titans were locked in combat. The blood rushing through their veins drowning out the fear of death.

* * *

><p>Robin was at another dead end. There was absolutely nothing on Danny. No articles about a fifteen year old genius, or any record of him attending the community college in Jump. Robin was wearing his resources thin. Starfire had been eerily quiet, but had never stopped pacing the room. Although for different reasons. Finally her control snapped and she tried again.<p>

"May we now…"

"No."

Starfire immediately started pacing once more. Desperate he typed in his last option 'Vlad Masters' and pressed the enter key. The search began.

* * *

><p>Fixit was awe stuck as he and Danny landed onto the soft cold snow. The now liquid blue air seeming to swirl in snowflakes around the land. Here the atmosphere felt more like Earth's, but Fixit wasn't fooled. He could still feel the pressure that surrounded him the instant Danny released his shoulders.<p>

"We're safe for now, Walker and his goons won't come into Frostbite's land," And with this Danny started walking. His feet leaving no tracks in the snow. For a time both walked in silence. Fixit pausing every once in awhile to admire the carved designs in ice, wondering who made them.

"What is the treaty Walker was speaking of, the one you broke?" He finally asked careful to put his voice back into its monotone sound. He wasn't disappointed as he watched Danny tense, then relax his eyes wandering the land as they continued their trek.

"The treaty was created a year ago, stating that as long as I never set foot in the Ghost Zone again, other than to visit Clockwork, the Ghosts would not attack the Human Zone. Of course we aren't prefect, I still caught some ghosts terrorizing the towns, but most fled when they saw me," he stated, his echoing voice becoming brittle as the ice surrounding them.

"Did you break the rules as well?" Trying to lighten the mood Fixit was rewarded with a small chuckle.

"Yes, but I only ventured to Ghostwriter's Library, everywhere else was too risky. Even coming here. I wonder how Frostbite will take my return."

"Hopefully better than Walker did," Fixit stated that ghost ticked him off, not understanding why Danny was already sentenced to ten thousand years in prison, that seemed very unjust. Danny did burst out laughing at that.

"Heck yeah! For one thing I'll be dust in ten thousand years!" Danny said still laughing. But this statement only raised more questions. Walker called Danny a halfa and later Danny said he was only half dead. How was that possible? They came to the edge of a bend and rounding the corner, Fixit saw a magnificent city made of ice, with creatures he had never even dreamed of walking about. They didn't even get past the gates when many in the city began shouting out in joy saying the Great One had returned.

Distantly, Fixit realized they were speaking of Danny. Just what had he done to earn that level of respect? He watched as a great white ghost, that looked to be a white yeti, but held wolfish properties in his face, two ice horns resting on his head, below his canine ears flickering around his head in joy, came flying out of the city, his ice blue cape billowing in the wind putting strain on where it was held together by a solid gold coil. This ghost was obliviously the leader, and yet he was acting like a father embracing his lost son when he pulled Danny into a monster hug. Careful not to skew him with his claws, one arm completely made of ice.

"Great One, you have returned!" He exclaimed as Fixit heard a muffled squawk of protest from Danny, who appeared to be suffocating in all of the leader's fur. The wolf like ghost realized this and released Danny, who landed on his feet gasping for air, but none the less smiling.

"It's nice to see you, Frostbite," he said in return.

Frostbite's eyes turned from jubilant to concerned in a heartbeat, as did the other yetis' who were watching from inside of the city their precise hearing catching every word.

"Great One, you should not be here, it violates your treaty. Although everyone here would personally say screw it, we have missed you greatly, but you are taking a huge risk," with this Danny's face flushed slightly as he rubbed his neck nervously. His gaze temporarily meeting Fixit's, who was startled by this strange action. He looked so much younger…

"Yeah about that, see, I kind of already screwed that up. My friend Fixit here went into my lab and sort of stepped through the Ghost Portal without my knowledge and in order to get him back…"

"You came in after him, and no doubt got caught," Frostbite said smiling amusingly down at Danny." The art of being subtle was never your strong suit," he added as an afterthought. Danny mumbling something unintelligible causing several of the other yetis to laugh.

"Who caught you?" Frostbite asked.

"Walker. And his guys had some sort of devices," Danny inquired, Frostbite now leading them through the city to the main hall that housed the science lab.

"You mean his new stun guns. We violently opposed him building those. For they were modeled to directly harm you, are you alright?" He asked as they walked up the icy steps and into a high tech laboratory. Danny merely shrugged.

"I'm fine. My head hurts more from teleporting than anything else, not as bad as when I'm in the Human Zone though. Why is that?" Danny asked. Fixit was surprised at how easy it was for him to keep up, especially since Danny wasn't holding out on any information.

"You are in the Ghost Zone, your powers are replenished easier than when you're home due to the ecto-plasmum in the air. Although, I'm surprised your head even hurts at all, since most of your powers are derived from inside the very core of your human heart," he stated Danny merely shrugged.

"While I am very fascinated by the fact that you seem to get Danny to talk in more than five sentences at a time, how are we to get home, my sensors have yet to locate a Portal similar to Danny's back in his lab."

Frostbite smiled and walked up to an ancient scroll floating in suspended animation. He deactivated the security measures around it.

"Great One, you know what to do," with this he left to go attend to other things, leaving Fixit alone and very confused. Danny reached out and held the old parchment.

"Tell now," demanded Fixit when Danny looked up to him. His green eyes laughing at the look on Fixit's face.

"Hey, it was your fault for going into my lab. But this is the Infi-map, it shows you any portal between the two Zones, all you have to ask where you want to go," Danny said letting it fly open. The map trailing onto the floor, wrapping around the entire length of the lab as it revealed thousands of blue stars in the night sky. The same ones Fixit knew very well. Danny set the map on the floor, careful not to touch it. He promptly answered Fixit before he even asked the question.

"If you tell it where to go, it tends to take you there right away and since I don't want to steal it from its protectors…" Danny trailed off as Fixit nodded in understanding, both looked down at the dark blue map.

"Show me the portal that will take us home." Danny said kneeling down onto the ice tile floor. The map, swirling its colors, blurring from blue to green the night sky changing as it drew a line from the Far Frozen Clan directly to…

"Ah, crap." Danny mumbled.

Fixit merely raised an eyebrow at his friend's use of language. Sighing, Danny thanked the map and rolled it up, placing it back into its camber where it slowly began to spin in a lulling circle.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing, the portal is just located in a bad spot," Danny said as they exited the lab. Frostbite standing at the end of the stairs.

"Where is it located, Great One?" Frostbite asked walking them to the edge of the city.

"Directly above Walker's prison."

_Yep, that sucks_. Fixit thought as Danny sighed and headed out of the city gates. Fixit was about to follow when he felt a furry cold hand press on his shoulder and turning, saw Frostbite looking down at him, concern in his eyes.

"Do not stop questioning Danny. There is much he has buried and I fear it is killing him. Please, for his sake, as much as the world's, help him, my friend." With this the wolfish yeti released Fixit from his grasp. Stunned the robot could only nod to the powerful ghost spirit. He turned and floated away catching up to Danny, who had paused and was waiting for him right before the bend.

"What was that about?" Danny asked confusion in his voice.

"He merely asked that I make sure you don't freeze anyone with those ice eyes of yours," Fixit stated watching Danny's green eyes go wide. A blush creeping up his face, a drastic contrast to his snow white hair.

"That little…you freeze someone with your ice powers one time!" Danny yelled in frustration, grabbing Fixit by the shoulders so he could fly both of them out of there. He never noticed Fixit's shocked expression at Danny admitting to having ice powers, he was only speaking of his ice blue eyes. Nevertheless, Fixit couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at this new tiny piece of embarrassing information. It quickly disappeared as they reemerged out into the ominous green sky.

* * *

><p>Their lives currently sucked as it came down to two things: one, getting blasted to death or two, run like hell. Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven chose the second option. All three Titans managing to avoid another attack and took the chance to hide while under the cover of smoke. Raven's father moving in a different location trying to locate his prey, the teens all breathing small sighs of relief while trying to get their heart rates under control. Raven was the first to speak, while they hid behind giant jagged rocks jutting out of the landscape concealing the fear ridden teens perfectly.<p>

"He's too strong. I cannot defeat him," Raven said lowering her hood, sweat damp hair clinging to her face. Cyborg wasn't going to have this, he wasn't about to give up now. Not after the three of them had been put through one hell of a ride–no thanks to Beastboy– but still Raven was his friend, he wasn't going to abandon her.

"So call for backup! What about all those other you's?" He said trying to throw out ideas.

"Yeah! The Green one kinda kicked butt!" BB threw out, not to mention she acted just like Cyborg and him.

"It still wouldn't be enough. None of my other sides have the kind of power we need," she said hopelessly. And for the first time Beastboy knew the answer to his friend's troubles. It was the very thing Robin had asked of him.

"Not alone, but what about together, they're all part of who you _are _right!" He said smiling at Raven. The ground gave a violent shudder as the demon began blasting everything in sight. He needed to find his 'precious' daughter. Cyborg, who had been monitoring the situation, turned to face the other Titans.

"Go for it. We got your back!" He yelled, both of the Titans disappeared around the corner following after the demon. Raven gave a faint smile, she truly had been blessed, with this thought she ignored the slight ache of her powers and the sweat that ran down her face. She closed her eyes and raised her hood in meditation. Her arms crossing, she opened her glowing white eyes, calling on all of her other sides. They came in a swirl of colors, gathering into a circle around the soul they all made up. And together, they rose high in the sky, spinning around Raven, condensing into pure energy until in a swirl everything came together. In one flash of bright light, Raven felt all of herself, every fiber of who she was, poured into her. And she knew. She could win.

Her father was amusing himself, toying with her friends by sending hundreds of red eyed black birds at them as they ran around, trying to avoid the sharp teeth. He never noticed his daughter, dressed in a blinding white robe and uniform, appear behind him. Her dark red jewels sparkling like the stars that adorned the sky, like she had captured them and placed them around her waist. He turned as two angelic white eyes opened, and she attacked placing black binding magic around her dear father.

"You are going back were you belong!" She yelled as he struggled against her hold.

"Never!" He spat, the magic ripped apart. Raven's power poured out of her as she sent a continuous wave of night at him. Her father returned her power with his own sinister hell fire, clashing. They met half way, struggling for dominance. The birds disappeared around Cy and BB as the demon was forced to use all of his power against Raven. In a burst of strength, she pushed forward, her magic defeating her Father's, he howled in pain, his own fire destroying him as well. Until all that remained was a tiny four eyed Raven dressed in a plain red robe staring up at its captor. The red energy dispersed, flowing back into Raven and when the smoke cleared, she stood, her blue robe and black uniform surrounding her. Cyborg and Beastboy ran to their friend. Raven stood victorious. Until her legs gave out from shock, she couldn't believe she just did that, as she fell, Raven was caught by strong mechanical arms and a green changeling not two feet away, making Raven feel very claustrophobic, a blush dusting her pale face.

"It's okay," Cyborg said.

"We got you," Beastboy finished as Cy set her down on the ground.

"Thank you, friends," she said.

"So we really are friends?"

Beastboy asked unable to contain his nervousness. But it disappeared when he was met with Raven's smile and small nod. Beastboy tried to push it.

"And you really think I'm funny?" He asked his eyebrows doing a little jig trying to get her to laugh and was met with an annoyed look.

"Don't push it," she said with this they headed back to the swirling red portal.

* * *

><p>Robin stared in shock. Vlad Masters had lived in Wisconsin, but that wasn't the problem…no, the problem was that about two years ago he ran for mayor in Amity Park, North Dakota, where one Danny Fenton had lived. There were only two articles about Danny in the paper. One from four years ago, the other a year. Robin couldn't believe it, and silently he turned off the computer screen. He didn't want to keep staring at the teen's eyes. Starfire stopped moving, she couldn't take it any longer.<p>

"I must go see if friend Raven is alright!" her bell like voice cutting through the silence. Robin awoke from his trance immediately and bolted out of the room chasing after Starfire.

"Wait, Starfire! She wanted to be alone!" Robin yelled, the door closing as he left.

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet as Danny and Fixit neared the prison.<p>

"What are we waiting for?" Fixit asked. He and Danny hidden behind a large floating purple door.

"We don't know when the portal will open, and I'd prefer not to get zapped by those stun guns," Danny said seriously. They watched the green air begin to condense and swirl, until right above the watch tower of the prison a portal appeared.

"Let's go!" Danny said grabbing onto Fixit's shoulders, shooting off towards the prison. Lights stopped them right in their tracks as their eyes were forced to adjust to the blinding sight and once they did, they were surrounded by the guards. Stun guns all aimed at Danny while Walker made his way towards them. His feet walking instead of floating, this in Fixit's mind made him look a lot more menacing.

"Nowhere to run, punk," his eyes smirking as he spoke.

"You can't stop me, Walker," Danny answered back coolly, his eyes holding no fear, Walker laughed.

"We'll see, kid. You broke the rules and now I can wage a war against you. After all, war criminals can be kept alive longer than the normal ones."

Fixit shuddered, he didn't want to dive any deeper than the surface of those words. But Danny's gaze never faltered, and it was then Fixit knew. That whatever Danny was, this burden of being dead wasn't killing him, and obviously fear and fighting wasn't it. So what was killing him? He watched as Danny's snow white bangs hid his eyes for one moment. Shadowing them. Danny breathed, taking in the pain and accepting the consequences of his actions, and when he looked up his glowing green eyes held fire.

"I'll take your war, and throw it back into your pearly white ass face." Walker let out a roar of rage, the guards firing. Danny turned Fixit in his grasp, green flashed around them, and in the next instant, they were diving through the closing portal. Leaving Walker to howl and scream, demanding to know how the two criminals escaped.

* * *

><p>Robin had managed to catch up to Starfire and grab her wrist before she knocked on the door. It didn't help that her alien strength easily dwarfed his, and Robin practically had to throw his entire body weight into just stopping her hand from reaching the door.<p>

"Please, let us simply…"

"Raven asked us not to disturb her!" He growled out, resorting to putting one foot on the door for support as he pulled back Star's arm. The other on her shoulder yanking her arm back and also for balance. O.k. he just invented a new workout routine…and a new game of tug of war.

"She could be weeping and…"

"I don't want to bother her!" He yelled sweat beading on his brow. Her hand was almost there…

"But if we merely…"

The door opened. The two Titans fell backwards in shock as Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven all emerged from her room.

"Where have you guys been?" Robin asked noting the time, it was well into the night.

"Just getting to know each other," Cyborg stated, all three of them smiled.

"Come friends, we shall prepare a new breakfast feast!" Star exclaimed happily, but BB merely rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's a little late for breakfast, Star. Maybe just some herbal tea?" He asked, Raven's eyes lighting up at his consideration, but her smile fell, she needed to tell them.

"Actually, Beastboy, breakfast sounds nice, but I need to tell you all something about the fight with Dr. Light."

Everyone was dead silent.

"When Phantom came, I don't know how, but suddenly I could feel his presence. He's in unbearable amounts of pain."

"How? Whot's causing it! And how do we stop it?!" Cyborg said fiercely, that guy might not say he's their friend, but he was powerful, and in Cyborg's mind, if Phantom wanted it or not he did consider him a friend. His heart dropped down into his stomach when Raven met his eyes.

"We are. Not directly, but whatever caused his wound, we are aiding in its inability to heal. And when I asked him to stop, he did. And this time, I fear he will never help us again, especially after he realized I could see his heart."

Darkness fell over the team as Raven's words sank in. Beastboy finally realizing why Raven's emotions had been so nuclear this morning, Phantom meant a lot to her. He meant a lot to everyone. Huh, weird, Beastboy thought, he barely even saw the guy, rarely even talked to him, so how did he warm into his heart?

"Actually, I could go for some black coffee right about now," Cyborg answered hollowly his eyes downcast. It was then the articles came back to the forefront of Robin's mind.

"Let's go to Danny's bookstore. He has coffee, and I need to ask him something important," he said, the team agreed, trusting that Robin would tell them when the time was right. They headed out.

* * *

><p>Danny and Fixit fell from the ceiling onto the tile floor of his lab. As Fixit recovered, Danny took the time to transform back. Grunting in pain, the headache beginning to make itself known. Man, he was getting tired of using that power. While Fixit sat up, Danny couldn't help the laugh that escaped him from looking at Fixit's face, which seemed presently frozen in shock.<p>

"What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost?" He stated this got the reaction he was hoping for, Fixit shook off the shock and replaced it with annoyance.

"It would appear I have, and alas, I have no doubts that you are alive yet dead. Now tell me, how is that possible?"

Danny shrugged standing up, carefully making sure his equilibrium was steady.

"Lab accident. My parents built a Ghost Portal when I was fourteen, but my eccentric and sometimes flaky dad put the darn 'on' switch inside the freaking thing. And when I went in there…"

"You turned it on," Fixit said comprehension dawning on his face, he watched Danny retrieve the book on the counter top.

"Yep, I got shocked with ten thousand volts of electricity and ecto-energy which split my molecules, killing me and saving me all at the same time," he said handing the book back to Fixit, who took it silently, gazing down at it.

"I was wrong, you are not Hamlet, you are someone greater, but tell me, just who are you?" Fixit asked looking down at Danny as they headed over to the door.

"I don't know, but in a way, I almost envy Hamlet."

"How so?"

"That in the end, death claimed him before his burden crushed him, and the fact that he finally got fed up and said 'to hell with it!' and killed Claudius."

Fixit couldn't help but smile at the brashness in Danny's voice, he almost forgot Frostbite's plea. Almost. The door bell rang as Fixit was placing the book back on the shelf.

"Well damn, if it's an angry customer I'm letting you open the door and kick them out," Danny stated, grudgingly making his way up the stairs. Fixit following who raised an eyebrow at this.

"You have cussed three times in under a day, has your mind been damaged from the fall? Also, I do not see why I must answer the door, seeing as how they're your customers," Fixit stated as they made their way across the Victorian red carpet, Danny giving a huff of annoyance.

"Shut up. My head hurts from teleporting. And if I hadn't left the store closed to come save you, you'd be sitting on that stupid rock talking it up with Skulker or Walker. So deal with the customers, and suck it up."

However, Fixit was spared their wrath and was met with the Teen Titans standing outside. Danny mumbling something close to another curse word under his breath as Fixit opened the door allowing them inside. Greeting them, he watched as Danny exchanged hellos while looking slightly peeved at why they were coming so late, for coffee no less, but as Danny led them to the café. The reason why his friend didn't like heroes suddenly became clearer.

"Fixit, a little help?!" Danny called as the Titans situated themselves on the nearby couches. Danny standing over the non-functioning coffee machine.

"Of course," Fixit said floating over, he never thought he'd ever truly appreciated how light air was. Stopping in front of the machine, Fixit merely stared at it before his eyes went red just as his fist came down, smacking the thing up top its head. Danny stared in shock as the thing began to work.

"If you were just going to hit it, I could have done that!" Danny said his face slightly red, Titans laughed quietly to themselves. Fixit merely smiled and floated over to where Cyborg was seated at a table. Danny sighed and looked back to Robin.

"You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, it's about…"

Robin was cut off as the door bell rang once more, and the Titans watched as Fixit stood and moved through the bookshelves. Everyone turned back to Danny, Robin hesitating before he went on.

"Well it's about your family. They were ghost hunters, correct?"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze, Danny's eyes turned cold.

"Yes," the curt reply came through strained lips.

"Then you know about ghosts. Tell me, do you know if Phantom is a ghost?" Robin's eyes noting every muscle tensing underneath Danny's clothes.

"I don't know. My parents were inventors mainly," he stated, for some reason Robin felt like that wasn't the entire truth.

"Have you seen ghosts?" his voice stern, eyes never backing down from Danny's icy ones.

"Yes," Danny was visibly shaking now.

"Then is it true they were killed by a ghost and your legal name is Daniel James Fenton who was adopted by…"

_"__Vlad Masters,"_ came the voice of the man standing next to Fixit. All of the Titans jumped and faced the tall man in a black double breasted suit. His grey hair pulled into a ponytail that brought out his dull blue eyes. Danny simply staring at the man in shock, quickly turning to rage.

"I am sorry. It seems I'm not very good at kicking customers out," Fixit stated concern on his face while looking to Danny whose eyes never left Vlad's. The air in the room seemed paper thin.

"That's fine. He would have found his way in here eventually," Danny ground out, his voice nearly a snarl, Vlad smirked.

The Teen Titans all stared in shock at the two people in front of them. And when Robin watched Vlad smile, he couldn't stop the chill that ran up his spine. Or the confusion he felt as he gazed into Danny's hate filled eyes. Vlad smiled a crooked smile, revealing the perfect white teeth of a billionaire.

"It's nice to see you too, _l__ittle_ _badger_."

AN: Read and Review


	8. Chapter 7: Switching Strengths

_My defenses are crumbling..._

"_My strength alone cannot suffice, but I see no others who will stand and fight."_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 7: Switching Strengths

His mind was blank. Danny stood rooted to the spot, vision filled with nothing but Vlad Masters smug smile. Danny's chest felt too tight, head pounding, making his vision swim, causing the roaring in his ears to only increase. Pain filled memories clawed their way to the surface of his heart. But the one thing Danny knew for certain, was that Vlad being here would only make his life spiral out of control. Not that it already wasn't.

"Downstairs, now," his voice was straining, trying to keep the powerful echo out and to maintain his ice blue gaze. Vlad merely nodded, his eyes glistening in some unknown emotion. Danny's movements were stiff, controlled as he walked past the elder, who placed a dead white hand on his shoulder. Vlad reveled in how the shoulder tensed, blue eyes flashing green, nearly making him laugh out in malicious enjoyment.

Starfire witnessed the whole thing. Her bones chilled until Danny and Vlad left, the door closing with a click. Her heart began to race…Danny's eyes had looked just like the gem Blackfire had given her. Suddenly, Starfire wasn't in the bookstore, but the warehouse, visions of streaming, smoke filled lights while pounding music filled her ears. Danny standing at the center of it all protecting her, glaring at Blackfire and the Titans. It had not been a trick of light. His eyes really were liquid green! But blue as well? The alien girl stood there in confusion, could human eyes really change that quickly? Starfire was startled out of her thoughts when Robin moved behind her. His face pensive and worried, trying to process what had occurred.

"So he really is adopted by Vlad Masters," the team couldn't help the shiver that ran down all of their spines at the memory of those dull blue eyes.

"What do you mean? Who is Vlad Masters?" Fixit asked, his monotone voice firmly in place, betraying nothing to his inner turmoil. Cyborg cast a glance towards him, and Fixit had to restrain the shudder at how upset his friends' eyes looked.

"Being adopted could mean a lot of things. His parents could be dead, or were 'unable' to care for him, or…" He could no longer continue. The strong baritone voice dying away as the rest of the Titans all looked down to the ground. Their minds racing in possibilities, and suddenly, Fixit understood why Danny never talked about his past.

"His parents are deceased," Fixit stated, trying to ignore the vise like grip that had taken hold of his heart.

"And I understand that you feel for him, but do not speak of it." All of the Titans looked up at Fixit in shock, but he paid no attention to this."You cannot change what has been lost, and Danny is not one to respond to words of self-pity or empathy. Neither is he the one to share his pain, nor one to accept words that no longer hold any meaning to him. So I ask you, do not speak of these things to Danny," Fixit finished his voice strong and true. He also didn't feel like telling them that Danny wasn't too keen on heroes, but he left that thought alone. Slowly, he waited as the Titans swallowed their worry and pride until all nodded in agreement. Fixit sighed, relief coursing through his veins. Now all he had to deal with was Danny himself, and the strange man named Vlad. Who when Fixit looked at, had gotten the strong desire to punch in the face. The coffee maker beeped, the brew was ready.

* * *

><p>Danny tried to ignore the man walking behind him, who he knew still wore a smirk upon his slimy face.<p>

"It seems your temper hasn't improved, my boy," Vlad sneered.

Danny ignored this, focusing only on the door in the living room. His pace steadily increasing until the knob was firmly in his grasp, wrenching the door open, he entered the white lab. Vlad following suit. The second the door shut Danny spun to face the older half-ghost.

"What are you doing here? You swore never to show your face to me again, that was our agreement! That you'd support me in shadows and in return I would leave you in peace!" Danny hissed, his rage boiling up. The air growing cold, making Vlad appear all the more demented.

"Yes, but that was before you broke the treaty. After all, the entire Ghost Zone will be after you now," Vlad responded his eyes gleaming, circling Danny, whose own ice blue eyes were glowing, but he remained rooted to the spot.

"I don't care if the world's ending. I never want to see your accursed face ever again!" Danny spat.

Vlad recoiled, his eyes meeting Danny's. Rage filled the elder half-ghost, but it was quelled the second he spotted Danny's trembling fists. A grin split his face.

"That's harsh, my boy. After all, it's not like you can defeat me and all of the Ghost Zone by yourself, little badger." A smirk twisting that enjoyed how Danny's glowing green gaze fell to the floor, his entire frame shaking in fear. Vlad merely chuckled, he approached one of the lab tables upon which a metallic belt lay. Gingerly he picked it up, examining the device. His eyes returned to Danny whose back was facing him. The image of a mouse caught by the hawk flashed before Vlad's eyes.

"Even with this," his voice dark, and with that said, pink flames engulfed it in a small explosion. The belt fell, clattering on the tile floor. Danny jumped slightly, but never moved to gaze at the blacking metal. He only stood still, waiting for Vlad to return to his side. The man gazed down at his charge and reveled in the way the teen's jet black hair hid his eyes from sight. He marveled at how the once trembling fists now lay limp by his sides. Gracefully, Vlad placed a hand under Danny's chin and raised him up to find those two blue eyes which refused to meet his gaze.

"You cannot defeat me, and you'll always need me, my boy."

Vlad felt warmth spread in his heart at this admission of fact, watching as Daniel closed his eyes in defeat.

"No."

Ice filled the room, the harshness of the word echoing. Only increasing in power as blue fire met Vlad Master's dead eyes.

"I don't need you. My debt to you is almost paid and are you forgetting _Vlad, _why that treaty existed in the first place?" Danny stated a smirk set firmly in place. Vlad wrenched his hand away, fear setting into his heart, the echoing voice reverberating around the soundproof lab.

"Don't you get it _Vlad? _What you see as fear is rage, what you believe as dead is alive, and no matter how you try, you will _never _be…"

A resounding slap filled the room. Danny's eyes going wide in surprise as he staggered back, a hand coming to rest upon the side of his face while trying to ignore the sting of flesh, and the way his left eye began watering out of pain.

Both stood there in stunned silence. Vlad in a breathless rage, Danny in pure shock. Slowly, Vlad lowered his outstretched arm, the palm of his hand slowly turning a light shade of red, his breaths short and ragged. Watching while Danny lower his own arm, revealing five red marks marring across porcelain skin.

"You insolent child!" Vlad breathed out, gasping between words, "What happened in the Ghost Zone was pure luck, you are not powerful. _And you need to learn your place! _Before my _generosity_ runs out. After all, what you say is your debt has always been nothing more than a show of my _mercy _and you shall not test me! Understand!" Vlad yelled his eyes pure red. His voice maliciously echoed like that of a hurricane, and through it all Danny remained unmoving, only increasing his rage. For Danny was the eye of the storm, unyielding, his skin steadily turning white, causing Vlad to only snarl like that of a feral beast.

"Do You Understand?" He repeated.

Silence followed until ice blue eyes fell to the floor. Danny lowering his head, bowing down to Vlad.

"Yes…_father_." Danny's voice held no affection, no sincerity.

His eyes remained downcast while he waited for Vlad's anger to subside, and remained cast on the floor, even when he felt warm hands settle upon his shoulders.

"Good. Now, I have to leave, walk me to the door, little badger," Vlad said a smile on his face. Heart glowing at the thought of being called father. Danny led the way up the stairs. Vlad never noticed the coiled strength or the look of pure untamable power in those two sharp glowing green eyes.

* * *

><p>Robin and the others all held half full coffee mugs when Danny and Vlad emerged. Neither of them stopping as they headed to the door. Silently, the Titans followed, Fixit steadily floating closer to Danny, his steady blue eyes boring into Vlad Masters. Danny stopped by the door, Vlad paused, hand on the cool metal knob.<p>

"It was nice to see you again, little badger."

Danny merely nodded. Fixit's steady pale glow illuminating five tiny red lines, not missed under Robin's gaze. Vlad gave one final nod and left. The second the door closed, Danny whirled around and let out a long sigh, his face scrunching up from stress.

"I need coffee," Danny said pushing past the Titans.

The coffee was black and scalding as Danny drunk it down in three gulps. Ignoring the steady thrum of the pulse inside his head. With the mug now empty, the raven haired teen turned to face the Titans, who all stood in a line looking as if they were afraid he would suddenly shatter.

"To answer your question, Robin. Yes, I am adopted by Vlad Masters. Now if you don't mind, it's beyond late and I have a shop to run so please get out," his tone was polite, almost kind, if not for the underlining tiredness. Robin was caught off guard by the sudden change in Danny and agreed without complaint. With the mugs all placed in the sink, the Teen Titans left. Fixit locking the door behind them.

The robot followed Danny as they made their way back downstairs.

"What did Vlad want?"

"Nothing important," Danny answered, and with that he entered his room. Closing the plain white door behind him, leaving Fixit standing in the hallway.

Quietly, Danny leaned his head back against the wood. Eyes closing as he waited for his insomniac mind to settle. Vlad had been right, the ghosts would start attacking now, and Danny was the one they would target. The air felt cold, the raven haired teen trembled, momentarily giving into his fears before standing and getting ready for bed. The fully healed skin of his burned arm and leg shinning dully in the lamplight.

* * *

><p>The red satin curtains drew back. A lone puppet dropped on stage his face downcast, wooden arms clinking haphazardly by his sides.<p>

"Titans, Go!" puppet Robin said, rushing forward, but no one followed. And the leader turned to face five other puppets hanging in the air. Their home painted in the background.

"Hey, aren't you guys coming?" Robin asked as the puppet Raven raised her wooden arm up in defeat.

"What's the point? We can't possibly defeat the Puppet King," she said her voice boyishly monotone.

Starfire's puppet agreed dreamily. All the while praising and commenting on the Puppet King's marvelous good looks, her big green eyes and carefully braided red hair flowing around the wooden face, the same boyish voice feigning admiration.

"Yeah, we should probably just surrender now," the Cyborg puppet said. Its red eye glowing as he turned towards the puppet with a mop of green hair whose eyes were downcast as he spoke in a wooden accent.

"Dude, I think we already have," BB said before pointing up, the Titans all looked to their master.

"Bravo, bravo, but enough rehearsal…" the master said as he pulled at the strings letting the puppets fall, "…time to start the show." But before the curtain could close, the master lifted one puppet whose eyes were electric green. Its snow white hair falling in cascades around his wooden face.

"And you, my Titan friend, will be the star of the show."

The blood red curtains drew to a close.

* * *

><p>It was the perfect time for meditation. In the moments of dawn and noon the blackness of space, stars and meteors were Raven's only companions. It was peaceful. It was exactly how the girl liked it, until Starfire broke through the serenity with her bell like voice.<p>

"Raven, please forgive my interruption, but have you seen Robin?" The Tamaranean girl asked politely.

"No," Raven curtly replied, one eye opening in slight annoyance.

Starfire merely looked downcast at this, but her face lifted as she raised another question.

"Perhaps you have seen Cyborg?" She asked hopeful.

"No."

"Beastboy?"

"My eyes are closed Starfire. I haven't _seen _anyone." It was getting really hard to keep her voice monotone.

"Oh, they must be doing the 'hanging out' someplace," Starfire noted as she turned to leave.

"Perhaps we should do the 'hanging out'?! We never have before, and conceivably it could be fun. We might journey to the mall of shopping, or perform braiding maneuvers upon each other's hair or…"

Black fire was seething out of Raven when Starfire finally gave notice.

"Oh, you wish to be alone?" She noted timidly. Raven merely nodded as the red-head silently left. Ah, this was more like it, the living room melted away back into black space. The warmth of the sun Raven's only tie to the real world as she meditated. The violet haired girl only got through one chant when,

"Mail Call!"

"AH!" Raven screeched as she landed on her rump. Cyborg and the others filed in, Starfire rushing over to greet them as they placed the medium sized box on the kitchen table.

"Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, you're back! It was… quiet, while you were gone."

"Not that quiet," Raven replied. Cyborg cut through the masking tape on the brown cardboard box.

After Beastboy predicted what was to be in the box, 'fan-mail from his many admirers' and the group's skeptical looks at that, Robin finally decided to check the address.

"Actually, it doesn't say who it's from."

"Well, one way to find out," Cy said opening the package.

The Titans couldn't believe it. For there looking back at them were five cute little replica puppets of themselves. All of them hand carved and painted to perfection, and once each Titan held their own likeness in their hands, did they return to the box where one other puppet lay. This puppet was just as finely carved. His twin green eyes would light up if you pressed the symbol on his chest. No one dared to touch the Phantom puppet for what felt like an embarrassingly long moment.

"Well," Beastboy said nervously, "we can't just leave him there."

"Obviously, who ever made these must have gotten their facts mixed up," Cyborg said reaching in and grabbing the snow white haired puppet.

"Yeah man, especially since Phantom really only helped us out like what, three times," Beastboy laughed although everyone knew they'd relied on him more than _three _times.

"Hey, show us the moves you and Phantom did in order to stop Cinderblock!" Robin said in a rush, and just like that, Phantom was put to use. The guys excitedly playing with their puppets, the boy wonder doll ordering the green mop on strings to be Cinderblock and was soon beaten to a pulp.

Starfire watched her friends play. Raven merely looking at them like they were, well…

"Boys."

A small giggle caught her attention as Star wandered over to her, puppet swaying in the wind,

"Shall my tiny replica do battle with your tiny replica?" She asked as the boys' Cinderblock fight turned into a battle royale of kicking and punching. Raven's expression never changed.

"Knock yourself out," and with this she left her puppet resting in Stars hand. In the background, Cy was winning, his and Phantom's puppet doing a side kick combo.

"You know, it's too bad Phantom really isn't a Teen Titan," BB spoke offhandedly, his puppet dodging one of the boy wonder's deadly fists.

* * *

><p>Danny sneezed. His concentration temporarily broken. He hardly ever sneezed anymore, or even got sick for that matter. But that was of little concern to him, steadying his balance, Danny got back to work.<p>

It was quiet in the shop. Nearing lunch, when Fixit asked the few customers still there, one nerd and two preps, to leave. Once the robot locked up, he headed downstairs expecting to find Danny eating lunch. Only the kitchen was empty, the black door in the living room slightly ajar.

The prefect white lab was empty as well except for the few beeps and clicks of machinery.

"Danny?" The robot called.

"In here," he heard, and looking to the left, Fixit followed the narrow hallway. The pale white tiles steadily turned to white washed wood and rounding the corner what he was met with took his breath away. For the room was a training area. Just as big as the lab, its light brown walls were lined with training sticks and weapons of all kinds. A black handmade ninja suit hanging on the wall, a Japanese katana glistening in the dim lamplight.

And there, on the navy blue training mat, balancing perpendicular on top of an old wooden chair tilted on two legs at a forty-five degree angle, was Danny. One arm resting behind his back, the other on the chair using only his thumb for balance as he continued doing push-ups while Fixit glided into the room.

"How many have you done?"

Danny craned his neck to meet Fixit's eyes.

"Three hundred and eighty something…you made me lose count," he said a frown on his face, black hair clinging haphazardly to his skin. Fixit merely smirked and circled the teen until he was facing the halfa's back once more.

"You have excellent form. Not many people would be able to keep their legs that straight," he stated, mentally adding that the majority of people couldn't do that at all. The teen let out a huff of annoyance.

"Thanks. Now shut up, I lost count again."

At this Fixit waited until in one last huff, Danny steadied himself on the chair and in a burst of power propelled himself into the air, flipping silently and landing on the balls of his bare feet.

"Show off," Fixit stated affectionately. Danny glared at him, wiping the sweat that beaded his brow.

"You closed up shop?" Danny asked as they headed out of the room the teen bending down, grabbing a small towel on the meditation table next to the incense.

"Yes, it was a slow day. And I am starting to believe your customers are psychic and know when to stay away from here."

"Probably, I've never really liked working on Saturdays."

As Fixit pondered this new information, Danny grabbed himself a red sports drink and popped two poptarts in the toaster. Once toasted, Fixit couldn't stop glaring at the offending pastries in the teen's hand, while Danny stared at the robot, fearing for his lunch's life.

"What? They're only Poptarts," he said his voice bordering on concern.

"Precisely," Fixit said acting with inhuman speed, the robot snatched the sugary treats out of the halfa's hand and crumpled them to dust. Danny could only stare, his mouth slack in shock.

"Son of a…what was that for? That was my lunch!" Danny yelled, but Fixit ignored the teen's angry mumblings.

"Sit at the table and don't complain," Fixit ordered much to the halfa's annoyance, but none the less, he complied and watched silently as the robot with his stoic face took out a skillet, one piece of frozen ham, two eggs, and began frying up a breakfast lunch meal. In no time at all, Danny had a ham egg muffin on toasted wheat bread with sea salt potato chips on the side.

"I didn't even know I had this stuff in my fridge…" He said in awe.

"You're welcome," Fixit replied unperturbed as the youth began devouring the meal. The robot could almost forget how powerful the child could be.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?" He replied a bit of sandwich going down the wrong way causing Danny to cough before he took a drink to wash the food down.

"How long have you been training like that? It must have taken years to perfect."

Danny merely sat back in his chair, plate empty, his face scrunching up in an effort to recall the memories.

"Let's see, probably the summer of my freshman year. I did it to train in my room since my parents were ghost hunters– and I really liked my molecules to stay intact– so I could train without being detected. Although I didn't add the chair till much later," and with this Danny smiled pleased with his answer. For Fixit though, this only piled on more questions.

"You never told your parents you were part ghost?"

A shadow passed over Danny's face, but it was replaced by a breezy laugh.

"I did…eventually." The robot saw through the façade easily, and it twisted the knife in his heart as he watched his friend begin washing the dishes. A smirk pulled at the corners of Fixit's mouth.

"It must irk you that I figured out who you were in one glance," his friend stiffened and turned an icy glare of annoyance right at the robot.

"Remind me again why I decided to save your robotic butt?" Danny questioned, but his mouth betrayed him, tugging upwards at the corners.

"Because… I make good food," Fixit replied stoic and monotone as ever and utterly serious, a shit eating grin spread across Danny's face and he doubled over in pure laughter. Fixit couldn't help but smile as well, a weight lifting off his heart.

Danny wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd laughed like this. In fact, as he sat on the tile floor gasping for air, he felt his sides begin to cramp up and his lungs burn from sheer joyful disuse. The halfa noted he was probably getting more exercise than his chair-ups. Finally, after a few extra deep breaths and more unwanted giggles that were entirely manly, Danny was able to pull himself off the floor to try and come up with a smart ass remark for Fixit's terrible sense of humor. When his heart froze up, and a single blue wisp of smoke escaped his mouth. Fixit stared in shock, while all of Danny's mirth died inside. The ghosts were back.

* * *

><p>Starfire had woken in a fright. A feeling of cold dread weighing down in her stomach, the door to her room shutting from someone fleeing. The Tamaranean girl followed suit, wandering through the Tower. Why had someone been in her room? She wondered, her senses becoming hyperaware. The feeling of dread coiling in her stomach, she rounded another dark identical corner.<p>

The perpetrator needed to hurry for he hadn't planned on the girl to awaken, but no matter he thought, gliding through halls, two puppets firmly in hand as he made his way to the third room where Cyborg lay fast asleep on the raised lab table. The master made quick work of him, dragging the pure white soul out of the teen into the perfectly carved puppet which fell into his hand with ease. Turning to leave the Master was shocked to see Danny's puppet sitting on the shelf next to a polished picture frame. That was strange, the Master was certain the halfa lived here. Very well, he would get Phantom's soul eventually.

It was dark and the wind was only slightly warmer than the clouds that filled the sky as Danny flew over the city. It was nearly ten now, the ghost hadn't appeared and the teen was beginning to doubt himself. If only for the pull that still resided in his chest as he circled the outlining areas. The ghost was somewhere, but more like it had been…everywhere. Danny scowled at this, following a road that led back to the city. It was as he turned away from the crashing waves did Danny feel it. And in a split second decision, the teen tore through the sky heading straight for Titan's Tower.

Raven was annoyed, no scratch that, she was pissed. Not only had Starfire awoken her from a peaceful sleep and scared her when she had opened the door. No, what was worse was that the Tamaranean girl had been right about something being inside the Tower. And now here they were being held captive in Cyborg's strong arms as Beastboy and Robin stood beside him, their faces blank and their eyes a sickly green.

"Friends, why do you attack us?" Starfire squeaked as she struggled against her mechanical friend.

"Oh, they're not _your _friends anymore, they're _my _puppets," said the wooden voice as the Master emerged from the shadows. His carved eyes glistening, he gazed up at the frightened girls.

"_These _are your friends," The Puppet King replied and dangling from his outstretched arm were the puppets of Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, and Phantom, Raven stared in shock. The puppets moved on their strings, begging for the girls help while Starfire screamed out in rage.

"Release them!" Raven snapped her voice coming out strong even though her lungs burned for air which was being denied by the strong hold from the puppet Cyborg.

"Sorry, but you're not in charge here," the king said mincingly, "You don't command me, I command you, and soon you two shall all be my puppets." And with this the boy wonder and the green changeling held up the last two puppets, the Puppet King pressed the button on his control to suck out their souls—

—and in a flash of black and white, Raven and Starfire were ripped from the grasp of the robot and thrown into the wall, the same time an electric green shield came up around them. Phantom standing in the middle of it, his eyes trained only on the Master who smirked and effortlessly landed on the shoulder of his puppet machine.

"Phantom," The Puppet King said smiling. Danny's eyes blazed with a thousand questions, but right now only one mattered.

"Who are you?" He asked and in the corner of his eyes he spotted the two Titan girls regain their surroundings, each preparing to attack. A grating voice interrupted Danny's thoughts.

"I am the Puppet King. And you my friends, will be my greatest weapons," his hand coming to rest lightly on Cyborg's shoulder almost in a caring fashion, enraging Starfire.

"No we will _not_!" She lunged for the King, only to be slammed back into the wall by one of Phantom's strong arms.

"You can't leave this shield, idiot. Or are you forgetting he can still suck out your soul!" Danny snapped, a note of panic entering his voice, watching the Ghost King hold up a snowy haired puppet in his hand. Realization dawned on Star's face. Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness overcome her at the knowledge that Phantom was here…and he was scared. A laugh that bordered on insanity filled the dark hallway and the three teens were drawn back to the enemy at hand.

"How right you are. But tell me, Phantom, do you really believe your shield to be strong enough?" The Puppet King smirked raising one painted arm and attacked.

The world strangely became silent, Raven staring in horror as pure white electric energy shot from the King's hands and struck the shield. Starfire watched, Phantom's green eyes glaze over and the shield imploded in on the teens. A scream rang out, a chant sang out and Starfire felt her body turn orange, Ravens blue, and Phantom's gold.

The world dissolved into cacophony.

For a while, or maybe only seconds, the world consisted of only lighting green and blinding white. The sounds were nothing but roaring waves, and a scream that bordered on a wail, and Starfire realized distantly that it was someone who was in pain. Everything was wrong for Star, she couldn't move, she couldn't help, and blackness was beginning to take over her vision. The teen tried to fight it until the thing surrounded her like a black hole. She knew nothing.

And the world ended in silence.

* * *

><p>The hallway was destroyed, the Master and his puppets blown through the walls, a panic took hold while he searched for the control, but as he retrieved it he noticed the two glowing green eyes of Phantom's puppet. The Puppet King laughed, he had won, and the Titans were his to command, he drew closer. Though the Master noted that the white haired puppet seemed unconscious almost like the soul was only half there, the blue cloaked and red head puppets completely destroyed…<p>

"No! Puppets, bring me the Titans! Find Them!" He yelled, the three puppet teens were off.

Starfire had believed herself to still be unconscious when she opened her eyes to the pitch black room. If not for the Puppet King's scream of outrage. Fear and adrenaline flooded her senses.

"Raven," She whispered, blindly reaching forward, jeez it was dark, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her.

"Over here," Raven whispered furiously and fumbling slightly, the Tamaranean girl followed the light pad of footsteps and the dragging noise of something heavier.

"Here let me help," and locating Raven, Star hoisted a strong arm over her shoulder that she knew belonged to Phantom. Both girls silently praying that he hadn't been turned into a mindless doll as they raced through the hallways and fled into the underground passageway that would lead to the city. The two teens stopped only when they heard unnaturally loud footsteps getting closer. Breaths held tightly in their lungs, they waited under a small storm drain on Titan's Island while the combat boots of the puppets disappeared.

"The boys, Raven, what are we going to…"

Starfire couldn't finish her sentence, for in that moment, Raven had managed to find a small light and pulling down on the string, revealed that Raven was looking at none other than herself. Only Star's voice seemed to be coming from her mouth.

"Starfire?" Raven asked her now forest green eyes blank and emotionless while her body's violet eyes swirled in them.

"Raven?! Ah, you are me…and I am You!" Both girls' eyes were wide as saucers, one registering shock, the other panic. The light bulb exploded overhead from black energy. That was also around the time Phantom began to stir.

* * *

><p>Danny felt as if the world had been turned upside down. Or at least was out to get him as he walked down the deserted industrial streets of Jump City with a very pissed off Raven and a hyperventilating Starfire. He still couldn't get used to the whole, we're in each other's bodies thing, only every time Raven opened her mouth a bell like voice rang out and Danny had to take three steps backwards because he really didn't feel like being blown sky high…again.<p>

He was only half listening as Starfire vented her fears and retold the story of their demise to Raven. Inadvertently melting any objects within five feet from black magic, but as long as she spoke, Raven wouldn't ask any questions about Danny. Like why he hadn't flown off yet, or why he hadn't teleported. It was a simple answer, walking past an automotive shop, Danny looked into the dark glass to his reflection, he was human.

Or at least, his ghost form was human, his glowing green eyes were now a dull light green, his pale flesh held no aura, only the flush of a beating pulse and his powers were utterly gone. But what frightened Danny the most, what sent him nearly reeling in a panic when he'd first woken up down in the sewers, was the fact that he couldn't change back. The part of his DNA that allowed him to change was gone and he was stuck in this dead, now beating form. Forever. A fear cold as ice gripped his heart.

"What if we're stuck like this forever! We're in the wrong bodies and…" Starfire screeched a mail box exploding causing Danny to flinch slightly out of surprise. Raven quickly intervened, a scowl upon the Tamaranean's face, which strangely unnerved Danny.

"Starfire, you have to calm down. My powers are driven by emotion, the more you feel, the more energy you unleash." Well, that certainly answered some questions about why Raven was…well Raven, Danny thought his eyes drifting back to the glass.

"But what if they find us? What if our…friends are doomed?" Star squeaked casting a wary glance over to Danny who raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity. The girl continued, her voice rising another octave, and Danny wondered if Star should consider being a singer…her voice was certainly high enough.

"What if I am stuck looking like this Forever!" She yelled to the heavens, and Danny strangely pictured Sam being forced to wear pink and Paulina gothic black, a smile pulled at his lips.

"We'll fix it. I don't know how, but we will rescue the boys, and we'll get our bodies back…" Raven reassured. "What's wrong with the way I look?" She suddenly asked.

Danny had to hold back a snicker as the violet eyed girl quickly answered the awkward question. Then the crosswalk sign exploded forcing Danny to dodge the flying debris causing both Raven and Danny to glare at Starfire.

"I will try to calm down," she said and a few deep breaths later "Peace, quiet, tranquil…Ah!"

Everyone jumped as an SUV exploded in black fire.

"We are so doomed," Raven said, a hawk sounded in the sky.

"Beastboy!" Star exclaimed. Danny turned to the sky where a green bird circled in the moonlight.

"Run!" Danny yelled and the three teens tore down the first alley they could find. They were half way down when in the corner of his eye, he saw Raven doing the funky chicken dance.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled his voice coming out strained as his lungs began requesting air.

"I'm trying to fly! How do you fly this thing, Star?" Raven asked as they raced through another alley. Both girls pausing for breath, it was as Starfire began describing the thoughts of joy to enable flight, did Danny truly grasp just how dire the situation truly was. He could feel everything and nothing, he could feel his heart beating erratically, and he could feel the tremors in his hands from the adrenaline in his veins, but most of all he felt fear.

Distantly, he heard Raven say unbridled joy wasn't her thing. But Danny didn't register that for fear, while present in his ghost form; never affected his body in battle, but now it seemed to be the only thing his mind could focus on. Even the battle with Slade in his human form, his powers were present, helping him to control his bodies reactions, but the entire time he'd been using them to control his _fear_.

"Phantom?" Starfire asked concerned, her hand lightly brushed his shoulder sending the halfa's frayed nerves into overdrive.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped, a cold sweat running down his temples. Both girls backed away in shock, watching as Phantom began to tremble, his arms wrapping around his chest, eyes scrunching closed, breaths coming in short gasps.

Danny tried to fight back another wave of fear that swept through him. God, he had never felt so human before…was this what it had been like? The halfa couldn't remember, and that thought only added to his trembling. He knew his human body wasn't weak, he _knew _this and yet...

A frightened scream broke through his mind, and Danny's eyes snapped open, following Star's black sleeved arm that pointed to a tiger emerging from the darkness. Vaguely noting Raven as she got up off the ground, one hand rubbing her long red hair…Star must have black magiced her again.

"What do I have to feel to us star-bolts?" Raven asked seriously.

"Righteous fury!"

"Your alien strength?" A note of disbelief and annoyance creeping in her voice.

"Boundless confidence!"

Raven couldn't believe Star's powers were so, so, she whirled around to face Starfire and Phantom, who seemed to have recovered slightly.

"Never mind. I've got nothing." She said, her eyes mutinous as she glared daggers at her friend.

"Then I suggest we run," Danny replied his voice shaky. The green tiger charged the same moment the teens fled. The halfa felt his fear propel him forward spurring his legs into action. It was a feeling he didn't like, he felt it controlling his senses, but as he spun into another alley where the boy wonder waited. Danny found his racing heart an odd comfort, the fear turning into something useful.

In a matter of seconds Phantom was high in the air, flipping, twisting, until he had the puppet by its shoulders. And as he landed on the concrete, the puppet went flying into the tiger both hitting the ground in a dull thump. Neither Phantom nor Raven and Starfire waited to see the end result. Danny turned sharply into another alley, slamming his back up against the wall. Raven followed suit, grabbing Star by the hem of her cloak and pulling her in the shadows, Phantom slammed his hand over the girl's pale lips to muffle her scream.

The three watched the puppets race down the alley, just as they felt themselves relax, two fists punched through the bricks, and Danny and Raven screamed as they shot through the air from Star's magic. It would have been funny, comical even, the halfa realized if he wasn't the one in the air with only a human's strength. Raven landed five feet away from Star, but as Danny landed he knew he was in striking distance of the mechanical puppets fists. His feet barely touched the ground when he felt his ribs creak from the impact of Cyborg's punch, and soon he was flying backwards into the girls. All of them falling to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs and screams. The other puppets arrived, the teens were trapped.

"Phantom, can you fly?" Raven asked fear shinning in her eyes,l. They stood, backing away from their enemies into the alley, it was a dead end.

"If I could, do you think we'd still be here!" Danny snapped his anger getting the better of him, his heart beating frantically beneath his chest.

"Fine," Raven said annoyed. Her eyes twitching as she looked forebodingly to Starfire. She wasn't going to…

"If you and I can't fly, then _you _have to levitate, Starfire. You know those words I always..."

"Yes!" Star said in excitement…huh, guess she was going to ask Danny thought. He could feel the alleys bricks digging into his back.

"Hurry up!" He yelled, Star took in a huge gulp of air.

"Wait! You have to focus!" Raven panicked, the puppets were too close, Danny felt a sweaty hand wrap around his wrist before…

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_All three of them shot through the sky.

They soared past the industrial district, past the clothes district, and neither Danny nor Raven or Starfire could stop screaming.

"I wish to stop please!" Star screeched as they did a loop and twist combo in the sky. Danny couldn't even see the ground anymore, and he was pretty sure he'd left his stomach back in the alley.

"Stop?! Don't you dare drop us!" Danny yelled back in panic, slamming painfully into Raven, but that would only bruise, however falling from this height… "Correction, don't drop me!" as a few colorful words slipped out of his mouth. Star seemed to drop ten feet, zigzagging through the sky.

"Please, tell me how to stop! Raven?" Star screamed. Taking a calming breath, Raven began to reply, but her voice came out a yell from the deafening wind that whipped and whirled around them. Danny suddenly felt very dizzy.

"Look at the ground and imagine…Wait!" Raven never finished and the teen's crash landed in a pile of garbage in the old arts district. While Danny was getting over the shock of still being alive, he felt Star's body shift next to him, desperately throwing the piles of trash together.

"Raven, what are you…?" Star tried to ask, but in that moment the red head shushed her, and promptly threw a big bag of trash, none to gently, at her face to silence her. It was then Danny heard the muffled steps of two large puppets that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He felt Star shiver next to him, black energy swirling in her palm. Raven peeked over what little cover they had. She watched until they disappeared into the darkness.

"It's alright, they're gone," she said. Danny felt Star relax next to him, their shoulders pressed together in the small space. With Raven on his other side, who suddenly let out a silent gasp, and quick as lighting she slammed her hand across Starfire's mouth, knocking the wind out of Danny's chest, as a green rat crept closer to them. No one dared to breathe as the rat smelled the trash, he was at the very top of the pile if he even tilted his head down in the slightest…Danny felt his body break out in a cold sweat, their eyes all trained on the green puppet in dread.

"Enough," The Puppet King commanded the rat leaving to stand in a row right outside the alley way with the other two puppets. The Master resting lightly on a newspaper stand with four puppets on strings dangling in his hands with the white control.

"We will catch the other three after the ceremony is complete."

"Ceremony?" Robin asked in a wooden voice.

"What ceremony?" Cy continued, his wood painted eye glowing red.

"Just a little spell, that will destroy you three and make your bodies mine forever," The Puppet King smirked, "come my puppets." And with this they left. The trash bags were soon discarded, the three teens walking out into the alleyway. Raven's red hair looking like a bird's nest.

"How can you stand having this much hair?" She snapped trying to tame the unruly mess.

"Quickly, our friends are in danger, we must follow and…"

"And what, Star? Save them with my unusable powers, while your unbridled emotions blow us to bits? We don't even know how to destroy the Puppet King, or even for that matter what he is?"

"Well at least I'm trying!" Starfire seethed a black fire surrounding her while Raven only gazed at her with disdain written all over her face.

"Enough already, the Puppet King is a spirit," Danny snapped his emotions wearing thin. Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice, the halfa slid down the alley wall, snow white hair falling in his eyes. And now all the questions Raven had forgotten about came rushing back.

"How did you even know we were being attacked in the first place?" Raven said suspiciously her forest green eyes meeting his.

"Yes, and why do you no longer have any powers?" Star asked sitting down on the sidewalk, Raven following suit. Danny merely sighed, his light green eyes darkening.

"Because I'm a ghost remember, I can sense other ghosts, and I followed his trail all the way to your Tower. Where you were about to get your souls sucked out," Danny finished.

"But that doesn't explain why your powers are gone," Raven stated.

"I don't have my powers because the King isn't planning on turning me into a puppet. He's more than likely going to absorb me to strengthen himself, and with you five as his minions he'd have the perfect army," Danny stated his light green eyes calm and collected, while both Starfire and Raven looked very grossed out.

"Absorb…i-is that why you're so powerful?" Star squeaked out, now it was Phantom's turn to freak out.

"What? No! That's just sick. Look my powers are different from yours. I don't have to feel a certain way," his hand motioning to Star, "or think certain things," he looked to Raven, "to access them. My powers are developed from necessity and strength. As I grow, my powers grow, sure, if I feel certain things it makes me stronger. But for me, my powers are more than an extra arm or leg, they're apart of who I am, that's all."

And as Phantom finished, he couldn't keep the forlorn expression that crossed his face hidden from Raven, for if his powers were bound to his soul, no wonder he screamed the way he had back when she'd saved them at the Tower. For both Raven and Starfire, their powers were a part of their anatomy, and even though they were in each other's bodies it hadn't hurt to have their souls drawn out. Heck, Raven wasn't even sure she missed her powers. But Phantom…Starfire interrupted then, her violet eyes filled with doe like curiosity.

"So if you're a ghost, what are you now?" She asked and for a split second Raven saw a flicker of fear in those eyes, but it vanished and died. Replaced with morbid acceptance.

"Human."

The silence was deafening. The girls began to draw conclusions to why he had freaked in the alley and reconciling that this hero was…dead.

"Anyways, I'm not the one who you should be worrying about. I can handle myself, you two on the other hand, there is no way in hell I'm going to help rescue your friends while you're both likely to explode. I'd prefer not to die…again," Phantom said almost offhandedly while Raven and Starfire were both stuttering and sporting big red blushes. At the looks on their faces, Danny couldn't help the chuckle that slipped past his lips, or the way his light green eyes filled with mirth, causing the girls to blush an even darker shade of red. Both silently agreeing that a smiling Phantom was cuter than the serious one. Though they'd never tell him this.

"Phantom's right, Star, you may have my body, but you know nothing about me," Raven said softly, the violet haired girl nodding in understanding.

"Yes, and if we are to overcome this ordeal, we must know everything about each other, so, begin sharing," Star said and with this Raven began to tell her the story of her home while Danny rested his head lightly on the wall. His eyes sliding closed, letting their words blur in and out of consciousness, and as he drifted silently through vague awareness, he suddenly imagined himself in an episode of Dr. Phil and friends, that debacle woke him up pretty quick.

* * *

><p>The Puppet King was furious, how he could've been so easily fooled by that wretched halfa? Right on cue, the white haired puppet let out a faint green glow, its wooden structure swirling in power. The King let out a growl, he busied himself in the ritual fires, and once they were burning, walked over to where the four teens sat and plucked Phantom from them.<p>

"No! Let him go!" Cyborg screamed, the other Titans agreeing, trying desperately to move their immobile bodies. The King could only laugh at this,

"Do not worry, Phantom will not be destroyed yet. I need his entire soul before I can act."

"What? But his eyes?" Robin said shocked. The King let out a real laugh this time, his beady eyes swirling madly before focusing on the Titans.

"This is not his whole soul, merely his power. I need all of him in order to absorb him and become the greatest ghost in all of Jump City."

"Okay, ew," Beastboy said. The Titans watched the King lay the green eyed doll on a small stone grey alter surrounded in burning black candles. He stood up and faced them once more, his face covered in shadows, "and once I am the King and you, my Titans, are destroyed, I will be the mightiest force in both of the Zones!"

* * *

><p>The clouds were rolling in, the wind picking up speed, sending cold chills down the halfa's uniform. Danny barely muffled a sneeze hiding behind the fountain in front of the old Bijou Theater, where a green Doberman dog stood watch. It hadn't taken long for the teens to locate the whereabouts of the Master. For there was only one run down opera house in the old part of Jump and this was it. The dog began pacing once more.<p>

"Safe to say we're not walking in through the front door," Raven replied ducking down behind the marble to gaze at Danny and Starfire.

"We'll have to try the roof," she said, and with this Star nodded, sitting next to Danny.

"Agreed, now do just as I instructed," she said taking both Raven's and Danny's hands. Raven, he noted, looked severely out of place. Like she couldn't decide whether to snatch her hand away or slap the violet haired girl.

"Close your eyes and think of something joyful. You might choose flowers, or kittens, or the laughter of children, or…"

Danny and Starfire gasped in surprise as they were gently lifted into the sky, where they touched down on the old roof, the green changeling below never noticing a thing. The second Raven let them go, Star began praising her friend.

"Very, very good! What was your joyful thought?" She asked. Danny more than felt the uncomfortable glance Raven sent his way, almost begging him to save her.

"You don't want to know, Star."

"Oh, but I do. Please tell me, what did you imagine?" She persisted, Ravens gaze shifted to the floor while Danny tried to make his presence as small as possible. Man, how did Sam handle being friends with two guys? Danny wondered, for being stuck here with Raven and Star, it was almost as if karma was coming back to bit him in the …

"You, not talking," Raven admitted, her boot scuffing the wood while Starfire just looked like her heart had been ripped out. Hesitantly, Danny placed a hand Star's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, her violet eyes came back to life and she smiled to him in thanks.

Raven eyed the locked trap door built into the buildings floor. Green met violet.

"Your turn, find your center, focus your energy on the lock."

The two teens watched Star's eyes turn pure white, black energy swirling in her palms and she chanted until the lock shattered in two. A smile of pure joy lighting her face.

"Nice work," Raven said, Danny agreeing, patting Star on the back.

"Success!" She yelled, the two doors slammed open with a thud. Raven looked pissed, Star in gaping shock, while Danny prayed no one heard that.

* * *

><p>The candles were burning, the fires in the center a flaming blue. Next to it, the Titans were dangling helplessly from the wall, and it was time. With the last potion added, the Puppet King ordered his puppets to search and destroy the other two Titans.<p>

"I do not need an audience, three Titans will have to do. And now Titans, it is time for your grand finale."

High up above the stage, in the catwalks Starfire, Raven and Danny sat, crouching down watching the entire scene unfold.

"No," Raven whispered, the Master had their friends in his hands, and distantly Danny noticed his puppet on a stone alter glowing madly. As if it knew he wished to use its power, only he wouldn't be able to reach it in time.

"It's going to be a real show stopper," he said raising the Titans high above the flickering flames.

"Stop!"

"No! Please!"

"Help!"

The three Titans yelled over the crackling flames, the white haired puppet was trembling in energy now. A shield desperately trying to form.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of your bodies. After all, they'll be mine forever," and with this the King cut the strings and the Titans fell.

"No!" Danny yelled high above the stage. A pitch black shield formed around them, shooting off into the air and into Star's outstretched arms, and she clung to them desperately.

"My friends! You are unharmed!"

"Starfire?" Robin asked confused and Danny would have laughed. If not for his thundering heart, he had almost forgotten the girls were in each other's bodies.

"It's a long story," Raven replied her face serious as all three glanced back down to the Puppet King and his men, the control in his hand.

"Go my puppets! Capture them!" The puppets took flight.

"Move!" Phantom yelled grabbing Star's elbow, dragging her into a run.

The puppets were faster. Surrounding them with ease on the narrow walkways, the teens gazed at the changeling and boy wonder in fright, when Danny heard the sound of a machine powering up behind them.

"Jump!"

And with that order from Phantom, both Raven and Starfire jumped off the catwalk, the sonic blast missing the tops of their heads by centimeters. The teens crashed into another walk way. The three Titan puppets continued to fall hitting the ground in a wooden crack.

"Dude, get your butt outta my face!" BB snapped at Robin.

"Can't move, deal with it."

The puppets were coming. Both Raven and Starfire took flight preparing for battle.

"Our friends!" Star screamed looking down to where they lay on the floor a good twenty feet below.

"You two handle the puppets, I'll get your friends!" Phantom yelled, dodging another sonic blast he leapt off the catwalk and Star and Raven entered into battle.

The Puppet King watched next to the blue flames as the white haired human plummeted to the ground. His knees bent rolling onto the hard floor and sat up. This was his moment, the Master thought. The halfa would head for the altar, and the second his hands brushed that part of his soul, the Master would finally be able to finish the job. Up in the catwalks, he heard the ferocious roars from his puppets and the girls, but they wouldn't be able to save their friends. Not so long as he held the remote. A smile danced across his lips.

Danny ignored the pain in his bones as he raced to where the Titans had fallen. Ignoring also, the screaming of his soul across the room on the altar, where the white puppet seemed to be nearly bursting in power. No, as he reached the Titans and scooped them up into his arms, his only thought was that he had to protect them. And the rational part of his mind yelling at him to go to his puppet, was promptly squashed back into the furthest recesses of his mind.

"Phantom?" Danny heard from the three in his arms.

"Look out!" He heard someone yell from above. Without looking Danny jumped away, Cyborg crashing to the ground, inadvertently tightening Danny's hold on the Titans.

"Damn," Phantom growled.

"Yo, Cyborg any chance your puppet won't get up?" He asked.

"Nope," Cy said as all four watched the robot move in to charge Danny, who dodged at the last second making the man barrel into the brick wall.

"Shit, what is with people trying to flatten me!" Danny shouted, dodging a few dropping sand bags that had been cut loose from Starfire's black magic.

"No! My puppet, grab the halfa!" The Puppet King screamed his eyes a livid black, the control in his hand shaking from the anger in the Master.

Danny's eyes widened in shock when he heard the rubble behind him shift and tumble, the robot climbing out of the hole, his green and red eyes locked on Phantom's light green.

The Titans resting in Phantom's hands screamed words of encouragement as Danny desperately dodged the robot's attacks.

"Dude, tell your body to lay off!" BB yelled when Phantom had to jump high in the air to avoid the canon fire.

"I can't!" Cy screamed, and with this Danny came down in a round house kick sending the robot back ten feet. Phantom turned around sharply and began running towards the Master.

"What are you doing?!" Robin screamed.

"Getting that control!" Phantom replied.

The halfa was almost upon the King, Danny shifted his weight preparing to lunge at him, when a solid blow to his neck sent him tumbling to the ground, arms going limp, the Teen Titans slipped free, and in his daze, Danny heard them yell his name.

Arms shifted around his waist then and drug Danny to the alter where his puppet awaited, the King ordering Cyborg to wait with Phantom in his grasp, while he himself hastily retrieved the Titans scattered on the floor next to the blue flames.

"No! Phantom!" Robin screamed.

"C'mon, wake up man!" Cy pleaded desperately, watching his body hold Phantom like a dead weight in his arms. The teens head rolling back on the metal shoulder, light green eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, with the blue fire dancing across the pale flesh of a bare throat.

"Do not worry, he is not dead yet, unlike you three," and once again the Titans were heading towards the ghost blue fire.

* * *

><p>Raven couldn't believe how hard it was battling without star-bolts, she could fly, kick, punch, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't concentrate enough to feel the righteous fury needed to power them. A scream erupted beneath her. And looking down she saw Star fighting Robin, balancing haphazardly on the metal arm support.<p>

"Raven, Help!" She screamed dodging a well placed kick from the boy wonder.

Raven suddenly felt an animal hand grip her skull, and remembered she'd been fighting BB as a bloody gorilla. Hoisting her up in the air, Raven broke his hold and kicking off she landed high on a metal beam and aiming straight of Robin, she kicked off, using all of her strength, her eyes liquid green.

"Starfire!" And she grabbed the puppet by his black cape and away from her friend.

"Not me,_ them!"_

It was then Raven realized her mistake, her eyes following where Star's hand was pointing. There running towards the fire was the Puppet King, his arms outstretched and high above his head in his wooden grasp, were her friends.

Raven saw red. Her eyes electric green, her hands burning, she raised one glowing hand where a star-bolt crackled.

"The Puppet King is in command!"

"No!"

The star-bolt soared, slamming into the floor beneath the King, sending him and the boys flying backwards. The white control that held their souls flew sky high where it clanged on a metal weight and fell into the fires flames hissing and screaming.

"My control!" The Puppet King cried.

The blue fire grew and grew, a flaming beast, seeming to take shape, Danny hazily realized. His eyes shifted to the Master who screamed in agony, blue energy escaping from his mouth and eyes. Danny titled his head to the side and watched as the beast screamed, and the Titans began to glow. Their souls flowing free in extravagate colors of red, white, orange, green and blue. Dancing around each other until they found the body they belonged to. Danny's eyes slipped closed his neck prickling, Cyborg released the death hold on him. The Teen Titans were back.

Danny let a small smile grace his lips before the world tilted on its axis, and the white haired puppet fractured and shattered, and Phantom let out a piercing scream bordering on a

wail.

It was over in less than ten seconds. But the Titans would never forget the scream as Phantom's powers returned, or the way he looked as if he were being electrocuted alive, his face twisting into a look of pure terror. And just as fast, the lightening vanished and Phantom stood there swaying until he collapsed. Cyborg catching him. Picking Danny up with ease, worry etched on his face.

"Dude is he…" Beastboy never finished, as the Puppet King let out a yowl.

"Nooooo! The magic without it, I'm just ah…." The Master toppled over, its limbs bent at impossible angles for the Puppet King was a puppet once more. The blue crackling fire died into nothing more than embers.

Danny heard muffled sounds as awareness came back to him, in slow, agonizing degrees. Every nerve in his body screamed and frayed, it felt like the inside of the portal all over again. Only this time, Danny mused, now he'd ten times the power, and ten times the pain.

"Ph-phantom," someone called, a hand fueling the fire on his forehead, he turned away from it. His glowing green eyes opening and registered the metallic blue of Cyborg's chest. The world was nothing more than faces and blurring colors.

"Wha-what's going…"

"You gave us quite a scare, my friend."

What little of reality Danny had a firm grasp on froze in fear, and he felt, more than heard the Titans shift into defense positions.

"Who are you?" Robin snapped out, and stepping away from the shadows was a man of about six foot two. Black spiked hair, pale blue skin, white sharp fangs and two blood red eyes.

"Plasmius," Danny spoke feebly, his eyes trying to focus on the now smiling ghost whose aura gave off a murderous dead white.

The Titans were shocked. Beastboy voicing something along the lines of surprise, but Danny didn't hear it. He tried to find his feet. Was he not standing? Did the floor even exist?

"You seem to now understand, my boy, the dangers of having broken the treaty. They will be after you now," the man said, his eyes serious. "All of them."

Danny felt a knot of frustration grip his chest, why couldn't this pain go away, he needed to move. Plasmius was speaking again, and he heard the Titans audibly suck in their breath. Danny turned his focus back to Vlad.

"…you can't defeat them by yourself. You need me," Vlad said and what little control Danny had on his emotions snapped. In a blind rage he located two red eyes.

"Fuck off. I've defeated you more times than…" Danny let out a gasp of pain while Vlad screamed in rage and lunged. The world darkened, and for one second the young halfa thought he'd died. But their standing in front of him was four Titans, armed and willing to defend him. A pure black shield Vlad's only warning. The red eyed man was livid.

"You can never defeat me," Plasmius growled out, slowly Phantom turned two lidded green eyes to the accuser, a small kind smile on his face. And with just enough strength to raise his arm, Danny let every ounce of his power sore from his fingertips. Striking Vlad with such force the entire back half of the building collapsed in on itself.

Danny's eyes closed, his arm hanging limply at his side. Vaguely, he felt the floor underneath him tremble in the most unusual manner. And he suddenly understood why he couldn't feel the floor. For that idiot Cyborg had been holding him the entire time. And if it had been under any other circumstance, Danny would have been angry and embarrassed. But now, after these last horrible hours, after everything. The only thing the young halfa could feel was relief. It was a feeling so deep, that it caused Danny to wonder if these people who had decided to take him back to the Tower, might stand beside him. But in his final moments of awareness, Danny knew that wasn't what he truly wanted.

No, what the young halfa wanted above all else, was to be saved.

AN: Read and Review


	9. Chapter 8: The Deepest Sea

_You're dragging me down..._

"_Who breaks upon the lightest truth? Not him, young master. Not him."_

_~Hella_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 8: The Deepest Sea

Time passed, but for Danny it felt like mere moments when he felt the fringe of awareness press on his mind. In the blackness, he heard voices and machinery, muffled sounds, and the smell of hospital sheets and oil. Danny didn't fight when the moment vanished.

_It's been two days_, Cyborg thought as he monitored Phantom in the hospital wing of Titan's Tower. The teen still couldn't believe it, but gazing at the straight line on the heart monitor, it hammered home what Robin suspected, and what Raven and Starfire had confirmed when they were racing home. That Phantom was indeed dead. Cyborg heard something shift, and looking over across the bed he watched Beastboy turn over in his chair. One of his legs dangling off the arm rest, his mouth slightly open where he continued to sleep. Cy understood why the changeling had opted to stay here with him and watch over Phantom, even though he claimed it was only because Cy couldn't play video games with him right now. No, BB was here because he was worried. They all were. Cyborg cursed silently when the neurological machine fired off an alarm bell before quieting back down. But by then Beastboy was sitting up and alert, his eyes shining with hope as he looked over to Phantom.

"Relax, BB, it's just another power surge."

"Oh," Beastboy's face fell, pointy ears betraying his distress, flittering around almost like he was trying to hear when the ghost would awaken. Cyborg stood to fix the machine when the hospital doors opened, and the rest of the team entered.

"How is he?" Robin asked a scowl of worry on his face.

"It's hard to say," Cy said turning to look at Robin while Star and Raven went to stand by Beastboy. "I keep having to adjust the machines due to Phantom's powers. Whatever he did back at the theater either severely weakened him, or just drained his powers completely."

"He did blow out the entire back half of the building," BB added lamely, his eyes downcast. Cy couldn't stop the pained look that crossed his face. Robin approached his friend.

"Something else is wrong," he stated, Cyborg nodded.

"Yeah, look while Phantom's dead, my guess is his powers circulate like blood, but is electrical like our nervous system and when I struck his neck back…" he couldn't finish, his gaze never leaving the ghost's face.

"But friend Phantom was human back at the theater. Should he not be well by now? If you had broken his neck, then the bones must have healed before we arrived here, for you did take a ray of X's."

"But that's the whole point Star, he was _human _when I hit him. I may have broken his _neck _and while that might not have affected him in his ghost form when he was human, I may have irrevocably damaged his nervous system and now that he's a ghost again…"

"It doesn't matter if his neck has healed or not. His powers are no longer able to flow properly, and that may be why you keep getting power surges on your machines," Robin finished his eyes serious. But even he couldn't hide the nervousness in his voice. The Teen Titans all stood in silence.

The next time Danny felt his way through the passage of darkness, he heard a steady cadence of breath, the sound of light snoring, and the same annoying sounds of machinery. Opening his eyes slightly, he winched when an alarming beeping broke through the silence.

"Damn, power surge," he heard someone mutter before the sound abruptly ended. Danny let out a groan of thanks.

"Phantom? Are you awake?" Someone asked a note of excitement entering the deep voice.

Danny let out another groan. The world coming to life all around him. He felt long hair brush his shoulder, another voice to deep to be a girl's, but still annoyingly high say something. Danny considered it to be way too happy. He could smell something warm that reminded him of the incense Sam used to burn in her room, and when his eyes finally brought everything into focus, he found himself staring at Robin, who was at the foot of his bed. Smiling along with the rest of the team. Danny shot up and felt something akin to panic beginning to build in his chest.

"What…where am I?" Danny asked. His eyes clouding over and looking down he nearly screamed. For white bracelets attached to cords were around his wrists and ankles which fed into a strange machine. Danny really did begin to panic.

"What have you done?!" He screamed. Cyborg placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the halfa could barely feel it, and in the next instant it didn't matter. For his power exploded around him, turning all of the wires and cables monitoring him intangible. The Titans watched in shock as it all fell through the floor with a crash. Danny felt himself begin to tremble, pain searing through his body, making his neck flare and burn.

"Phantom?"

"What?!" Danny snapped his eyes meeting a very nervous looking Beastboy, whose hands were raised in surrender while he moved to stand by his side.

"It's o.k. dude, you're safe. We haven't done anything," he said, hazel green eyes big and earnest, and the changeling watched with bated breath as Phantom began to relax, his eyes never leaving Beastboy's. A smile appeared on the green haired teen then.

"Well, _we _didn't, but Cy hooked you up to a Nero-something machine 'cause he didn't know how to help you. But I think it was because you not having a heartbeat seriously freaked him out."

Danny couldn't help the small smile of relief that crossed his face. So he hadn't transformed while unconscious, he was still safe. But at this thought a new sense of panic took over, his neck flaring in angry protest.

"How long have I been out?" He asked looking over to Cyborg seriously.

"About two days."

It felt like he'd been drenched in ice water. He'd been dead for two days. Danny's mind began to wander in shock, while he turned his palms over in his lap, studying the white material with a look of pure disdain.

"Phantom?" Robin asked suspiciously. Danny jumped slightly, winching when he had to raise his head to meet Robin's eyes.

"Cyborg says you might have nerve damage from when his body attacked you, are you alright?"

It took a moment to ponder exactly what Robin was asking before understanding crossed his face.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Danny hesitantly stood, feeling the pull of stiff muscles and aching bones.

"I'll need to borrow your training room."

* * *

><p>Danny felt his mind wander as Robin led the way through Titan's Tower. Cyborg describing in detail all the equipment they had. The halfa never acknowledged that he heard the man. Instead, he found his focus only on the burning pain stinging his neck. It was a bone deep ache that seemed to set his nerves ablaze, and Danny found himself trying to find ways to dull the stabbing of pins and needles while trying to keep his feet moving in their already languid pace.<p>

"We're here," Cy said smiling.

"You can use anything here," Robin spoke, watching while Danny made his way over to the sand colored training mat.

"I'm guessing you're not going to leave me alone," Phantom stated while the Titans all wore nervous expressions at being caught in their curiosity to watch the powerful teen, the boy wonder saved them.

"No, you could have serious nerve damage, and we need to be prepared for whatever may happen."

Only Robin would justify his curiosity as such. Danny thought in exasperated fondness, loosely looking at the rest of the team, who all shifted nervously in anticipation. Sam and Tucker flashed through his mind, a short huff of amusement escaped his mouth almost in a laugh.

"What?" Robin snapped his cheeks flushing red. Phantom merely shook his head, turning to step on the mat. It had been a long time since he'd trained in front of others.

Slowly, Danny started his movements, graceful, lacking in any precision or destination. A turn here, a soft kick there, his breath even and slow, glowing green eyes slid closed, letting his muscles remember the movements. The Titans watched in complete awe at the ghost in front of them, for he did not look unearthly. Rather, his movements reflected the earth itself. Drifting with the river and swaying with the grass, his face calm and emotionless. Slowly fading until Phantom remained unmoving, completely relaxed.

"Wha…dude, is that all?" BB said appalled, Phantom's glowing green eyes met hazel green. A knowing smirk on his pale lips. And with a deadly twist, Danny shot through the air, his moves bleeding into one another. Each one's fluidity smoother than water, his merciless speed promising the enemies' demise. Phantom no longer looked human. With one final flip, the halfa landed in the center of the mat, his breaths short and staccato, eyes blindly unseeing.

The Teen Titans stood in silence. Robin couldn't believe Phantom had so much control, his moves reflected age, and working together, the Titans might be able to pull off what he'd just done, but none of them alone could even compare. Beastboy was the first to recover, a smile plastering his face, his arms swinging by his sides as he approached the halfa.

"Dude, that was _awesome!"_

"Don't come any closer!" Phantom snapped out, his power surging forth in green energy around his waist, crackling menacingly, Danny's knees buckled beneath him. Beastboy saw red.

"What is your problem? We're not going to hurt you! So why won't you just trust us?!" He yelled, not noticing Phantom's distress.

Danny clenched his eyes shut. Hands coming to rest on the back of his screaming neck. Panic overtook his heart. He'd only turned his head wanting to see the Titans when he felt his powers scream out in protest. He couldn't control it, his body wasn't listening to his brain, and the electric energy wanted to unfurl around him as if wishing to be changed.

"Phantom?!" He heard Cyborg call out, the Titans realizing what was going on. Painfully, Danny hazily opened green eyes shot through with blue. Cyborg was approaching, no, he needed to stop. Danny tried to move away, eyes wide with fear for the mechanical teen. But his limbs were on fire. Shudders wracking his body, the twisted green trying to break in two.

"No!" Danny screamed, and with a crack, everything came rushing back. Digging into his skin with a sharpness no blade could compare to. The energy dissipating until only the prickling of needles remained in his neck, in the same moment blackness engulfed his vision. Cyborg caught the white haired teen before he could reach the mat, his red eye scanning Phantom's vitals.

"Dang it! I can't tell what's wrong! How am I supposed to help when I can't even…?"

Robin placed a hand on the man's shoulder. A solemn look on his face.

"Let's take him back to the infirmary."

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning when Robin received the report. Sighing, he made his way to the living room where the windows were covered in wet droplets from the rain the night before, casting the sun into blurry colors of yellows and reds. The Titans all sitting on the couch eating breakfast.<p>

"Where's Cyborg?" Robin asked although he already knew.

"He's with Phantom," Raven replied looking up from her book which was perched precariously on the edge of the table. Open to the same page she'd been on for the last fifteen minutes. Robin walked over and pulled up the video feed to the infirmary just as said teen was adjusting the machines.

"Cyborg, we need to go, we have a mission."

"What?" Everyone said looking up in surprise.

"Last night a transport ship carrying toxic materials was attacked. We need to find and locate the material and the culprit who goes by the name Trident. We're taking the submarine, and Cy, you're the only one who knows how to monitor the engine in the T-sub."

The team was silent while Robin stared stiffly at Cyborg. Trying to push down his growing worries for Phantom, who was asleep behind the mechanical Titan, connected to ribbons of wires and cords.

"I can't man," Cy said seriously, "Phantom's powers are going haywire on the machines. And so far the only thing that seems to be working is a low grade electrical current. But I can't pin down when to administer it until his powers start spiking."

"Cyborg's right. We cannot leave friend Phantom here alone in the Tower," Starfire said standing and approaching Robin, followed closely by Raven and Beastboy. At that moment, the alarm bells went off on Phantom's machines, the pale face contorting in pain, his body tensing at the green energy trying to be released. The group watched as Cyborg disappeared off screen to activate the current. The cords turned a light blue, humming softly until steadily, the green aura surrounding Phantom turned pure white, and his body relaxed back into the covers. Robin's mind started whirling.

"How long has that been happening?" Raven asked her monotone voice conveying none of her fear. When Cy began to explain, Robin cut him off.

"How long would it take for you to adjust Beastboy's seat in the T-sub to accommodate Phantom?"

Cy stared in shock for a moment before he understood.

"I'll need to divert some power modules in order to control the current, and re-wire the system to allow me to monitor him from my control panel…give me thirty minutes."

And with this the screen went black. Robin turned to face the rest of his team.

"We'll leave in thirty minutes. Beastboy, I want you to already be in the water with your tracker on you."

"Got it!" Beastboy said running out of the living room to prepare.

"Are you sure this is wise? We don't know what's wrong with Phantom, we could only make his condition worse," Raven said her eyes serious as she met Robin's determined ones.

"You heard Cyborg, we can't leave him here, but our duty to the city takes priority. And besides, I know Cy will do everything to make sure Phantom will be as secure as possible."

With this the girls nodded and left, leaving Robin temporarily alone in the room with his doubts. Heading to the door, he prayed he'd made the right decision.

Danny was getting used to waking up in different places. Although it did nothing to quell the fear fluttering beneath his breast. Slowly, he sat up, noting that he was strapped into what appeared to be an advanced submarine. The dark water flowing across the glass like dome. His wrists, feet and neck were wrapped up in loose fitting white coils that were humming softly, emitting a light blue glow and when they stopped, Danny immediately felt the pangs in his neck shoot fire down his spine. A small groan of pain passed his lips, but he pushed it aside when he heard Robin come in through the speakers.

"Sonar contact. Beastboy, get ready."

It was then looking over to the side of the ship where Raven was, did Danny notice a giant three-hundred thousand pound dark green whale, who nodded and swam ahead. The ship dipped lower into a murky valley surrounded by high cliffs. A green hammer head shark leading the way to a rusted cargo ship.

"There's our ship, but where's the cargo?" Robin asked, the sub's flood lights coming on, illuminating the gashes and shattered frame, following Beastboy's path.

"If this Trident dude is bad enough to sink a whole ship, those barrels could be anywhere by now," Cyborg replied watching the deep green shark disappear into the wreckage. Beastboy never noticing the shadowed figure watching him.

"So I take it we're not here on vacation?" Danny asked tiredly into a head set he found on the side. His eyes roaming over the mission specks that were being displayed on the control panel in front of him. What did someone want with toxic waste?

"Friend Phantom, you're awake!" Starfire sang, rejoicing into her headset.

"Yeah, now tell me why I'm here before I decide to teleport back to shore," he snapped his voice was crisp and harsh. Even though Danny knew it was an empty threat, he could barely even think straight through the foggy haze in his mind, and the fire lapping around his frame. But apparently the Titans believed him.

"Hey man, don't do that. It's a long story, but trust me when I say you don't want to leave that chair!" Cy said panicked. Danny was silent, his mind blank as he wondered what he'd done to warrant the concern of these people.

"Phantom?" Robin called his voice strained even through the intercom. Danny noticed the green shark speeding off, chasing a shadow.

"Your friend just left," it was the only reply he found he could give. The Titans' focused back to the mission at hand.

"It looks like Beastboy found Trident!" The flood lights off, the ship turned to pursue. The blast of energy that struck the side of the ship startled them all.

"Looks like Trident found us!" Cy yelled, and with this they began to dodge the electric attacks from the shadow they could barely see.

"Cyborg, bring us about, Raven, get ready to fire." Robin ordered, the orange sub quickly turned to face the onslaught, only to be met with ocean blue.

"Where'd he go?" Cyborg snapped.

Trident appeared, and fired,

"He is there!" Star screamed.

A shadow roamed over the widow on the opposite side.

"No, that way!" Raven urged.

The fish like man appeared at Cy's window his staff glowing a bright gold.

"It's him!"

The enemy fired, Cyborg managed to turn the ship to avoid taking a direct hit, but the hull was damaged as Robin sped them away.

"He can't be three places at once, head for that…"

"The engines are fried. We're going down!" Cy yelled his eyes determined, steering the ship into the ravine; Trident hot in pursuit.

* * *

><p>Beastboy was almost to the shadow when he felt someone pull in his mind.<p>

"_Your friends are in danger," _the voice spoke, serious and even. The green shark stopped in his tracks.

"_My friends… what?! Whoa, how did you say that? Dude, how did I say that?"_Beastboy looked up right as Trident fired a killing blow to one of the hydro engines.

"_Hey!"_BB yelled in his head, speeding off to where the ship was going down.

"_O.k. hero time, this is my big chance to prove I'm the…"_A black and blue blur zipped past him, knocking Trident off course and into battle.

"…_best."_

"Main powers down, our engines are toast, and we're leaking air." Cyborg yelled, the dome protecting him cracked. The ship increased in speed heading straight into an abyss, its cliff wall jagged and menacing.

"The hauls starting to give, we sink much deeper and the pressure's going to crush us!" Cy said his deep voice loud and panicked as he tried to bring the ship about. It was when the ship jerked forward did Danny feel the first signs of his power trying to escape. Desperately, he tried to hold it in, for he couldn't tell what it was trying to do. Would it respond to his wishes or simply finish off the already destroyed ship? The white haired teen clenched his eyes shut, trying to drown out all concepts of motion, the white bracelets no longer functioning, and water began to stream into the sub.

Beastboy zoomed past the teen dressed in blue and black fighting Trident, for he was determined to save his friends and prove his worth. The changeling morphed into a giant squid. The sub was heading for the cliff's edge.

"Titans, brace for impact," Robin shouted, the ship struck the wall, jerking Danny forward, while his delicate neck bones snapped backwards; a green swirling shield engulfed the ship. Pushing the water away from the sub and stopping the ocean's crushing pressure the second blackness engulfed Danny's vision.

"What's going on?" Robin yelled as the energy continued to protect the still sinking ship.

"It's Phantom!" Star screamed remembering his shield.

"Well, it doesn't matter, we're still sinking, and Phantom's not responding!" Cy yelled back.

Beastboy was almost to his friends when two hump back whales suddenly sank down into the abyss until the ship, green shield and all, rested on top of their backs, carrying them away to some unknown location. Leaving the green squid to stare blankly ahead wondering what just happened.

"_How come they got it?"_He thought.

"_Because I asked for their help," _said the teen who swam up to meet Beastboy, his inky black hair flowing around him as he looked to a very annoyed green squid.

"_You talk to fish? Yeah right," _Beastboy scoffed pointing a long tentacle at the strange person.

"_I'm talking to you, aren't I?" _He replied smirking, the squid stuttered indignantly in his head.

"_It's called telepathy, follow me," _and that said, he shot through the sea following the whales' path.

"_It's called 'telepathy'," _Beastboy replied, a lilt to his voice.

"_I heard that."_

"_Who is this guy?"_And with this BB followed, a red blush on his cold flesh.

* * *

><p>The orange sub emerged in an underwater cavern, the whales floating it over into the shallow water, pushing the sub until it rested comfortably at the edge of pure blue stone. The green shield still swirling, the Titans all climbed out of their compartments, not caring where they were. Cyborg opened Phantom's hatch to retrieve the pale, half-soaked ghost.<p>

Beastboy and the strange teen with inky black hair, which fell to his shoulders, emerged shortly after, and the second the changeling's feet touched stone he whirled to face the man.

"Who the heck are you? And why did you bring us here?" He snapped out, a glare on his childlike face.

"The name's Aqualad. And we're at my place 'cause if I hadn't brought you here, your friends would be at the bottom of the ocean right now. Speaking of, why haven't they deactivated their shield?"

With this Beastboy turned to see the swirling energy. The Titans all balancing on the sub gathered around BB's compartment. All traces of annoyance left the teen's face, racing across the slippery rocks Beastboy stopped just short.

"Hey, is Phantom alright?" BB called out as Aqualad made to stand by him, confusion on his face. Both teen's watched Cyborg lift the ghost out of the sub, ordering Robin to grab something from his seat. The boy wonder complied and jumped over the broken machine, disappearing momentarily and returning with a long white coil that Cyborg took quickly and attached around the white belted waist completing the circuit. Slowly, all of the five coils began to glow and hum, drawing the green shield back in, the power washing over the Titans inside the barrier like ice water until it settled, disappearing. Phantom's aura turned pure white once more, the coils now inactive. Slowly, two glowing green eyes opened to stare into the faces of four teens.

"He's coming to," one of them said, Danny pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes immediately falling on Aqualad's pure black eyes.

"I take it you're the one who saved us," Phantom rasped out, his body tensing for battle. Aqualad felt shivers run down his spine at the piercing glare to which he merely nodded. Danny visibly relaxed, accepting it to be the truth in those coal black eyes, before he noted his own appearance. Or, rather he noticed the extra white coil fitted loosely around his waist. Danny's hand twitched towards the device before he remembered the other four coils, a frown took to his face. Cyborg noticed this.

"It's to complete the circuit. I didn't think I'd have to use it, but since the ship is totaled, it's the only thing that will activate the coils for the electrical current and reign in your powers," he stated watching as understanding began to dawn on Phantom's face before his expression darkened and was hidden beneath white bangs.

"I see."

And with this, Phantom stood. Leaping down onto the blue stone, coils dancing loosely on his wrists, his face an emotionless mask as he approached Aqualad. The Titans all followed, the girls noting immediately that Phantom and Aqualad were around the same height. Each one exotic and mysterious in their own right. Careful not to make much sound, Starfire bent down to her friend and whispered her thoughts, and in the end both girls were off in their own worlds of being served grapes and fine wine by the Greek god Phantom, while the Ocean prince Aqualad asked them to dance.

"Why did you run when Beastboy saw you?" Danny asked his posture unguarded, but his vivid green eyes hard. Aqualad retained a shudder before he masked it with a smirk.

"Sorry about that, we Atlanteans like to keep a low profile," he said extending a hand to Phantom who shook it. Turning, Danny stepped to the side allowing Robin to introduce his team, while strangely noting that both Raven and Starfire were sporting pale red blushes.

"Wait, you're Atlantean?" Raven asked now back on planet Earth. The black eyed teen nodded.

"Yes, and so is Trident," he said, turned, and made his way to a stone dais the crystal in the center activating, depicting the black and grey fish man in all his violence as he rampaged across the holographic screen.

"He's the worst criminal in Atlantis, with an ego to match. Trident claims he's perfect in every way, so he thinks he can do whatever he wants," Aqualad said next to the screen.

"Any idea what he wants with all that toxic waste?" Robin asked his curiosity peeked.

"Whatever it is, it'll be bad for both of our worlds. He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once," Aqualad said stepping off of the dais walking up to Robin.

"When he attacks, what form of weapon does he use?" Phantom asked causing everyone to jump at the strange question.

"Some kind of zooped up shrimp fork. Why man?" Cy asked at this Danny merely shook his head, turning his eyes back to the criminal's face in contemplation. Aqualad stared one long moment at Phantom before returning his gaze to Robin.

"As long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other?" The black haired teen suggested.

Once spoken, Danny watched the young changeling flip out and drag the Titans into a small huddle. It was because of this Aqualad found time to ask the questions that had been burning in the back of his mind the entire time. Walking forward, he looked down at the bangs of white hair from the corner of his eyes.

"Why are you even here? Clearly, you can't control your powers, and you're obviously of no use?"

At this Danny merely smiled at the ignorance of the tone.

"Correct, now answer me this. Why do you delude yourself into wanting to keep a low profile when you clearly long for a team?" The look on Phantom's face haunting in its graveness.

Aqualad was stunned speechless, but Danny was far from finished. Unfortunately, when both teens heard Robin ask for the Atlanteans help, Danny stopped.

"Great. Hey, Tram!" Aqualad called ignoring the vivid green eyes boring holes in the side of his head. A stout fish like man dressed in overalls and a backpack emerged from under a sea shell carved door and ran over to them. He spoke in some foreign language that only Aqualad could understand, and after a short exchange, Tram was off, tearing holes into the already damaged ship and repairing it from the inside out.

"Tram's good with tools," Aqualad said offhandedly, the sound of an electric drill was heard digging into screaming metal.

"Yo, careful, that's _my_ sub your messing with!" Cy shouted running over to help the fish.

"And while he's helping you, I'll track down Trident," Aqualad stated heading for the water much to Beastboy's dismay.

"You mean, I'll track down Trident." BB said stopping the teen just short. Both Robin and Danny made their way over to the now brawling pair. Aqualad to stubborn to ask for cooperation and Beastboy desperate for approval, Robin had had enough.

"Guys! Why don't you both go track Trident down, together," he suggested while both teens stood fuming.

"I usually work alone."

"Yeah, me too."

"You do not! You're part of a team!"

"And you hang out with Tram the fish-boy! What's your point?"

"Hey, arguing isn't going to stop Trident. Now get out and search, both of you," Robin ordered. Still glaring at each other, Beastboy and Aqualad prepared to dive when Danny suddenly spoke, his gaze only trained to one person.

"Aqualad," said teen turned his gaze to him, "would they have made it in time?" And with this Danny turned and headed back towards the dais. Leaving the small group confused. It wasn't until the Atlantean dived into the heavy water with Beastboy did he understand. This amount of pressure, his whales wouldn't have made it.

Danny stood on the blue dais, his mind a jumbled mess of worry and pain. Cyborg's words ricocheting in his head. His eyes fell to one white gloved hand, a loose coil dangling from his wrist. If Cyborg was using an _electrical current, _then he wasn't reigning in Danny's powers…hesitantly, the teen closed his wrist and tried to change. The effect was instantaneous. Green energy surged forth, crackling in hints of bluish white around his arm, the coils activated bringing Danny to his knees, until his aura once again became white, leaving him sitting their eyes wide in shock.

"Phantom?" Robin asked, slowly approaching in worry. Danny shakily stood a small smile on his face.

"Sorry, just testing something out."

With this Robin nodded and left to go help Cyborg, leaving the teen alone with his thoughts. Sighing, Danny pulled up the chemical composition that belonged to the toxic waste, he'd never been great in chemistry, but it was worth a shot. After all, he didn't want to think about what had just happened. For whatever the puppet Cyborg had done to him in his human form back at the theater, it no longer allowed him to change. And now, his body was beginning to demand it, and these coils were the only things preventing him from being torn apart. Molecule by molecule.

* * *

><p>Beastboy and Aqualad swam back to the edge of the ravine, stopping near the crash site of the T-sub.<p>

"_I searched that region yesterday, we'll start over…"_

"_Look," _the green squid thought. _"I'm sure you're some kind of local __hero__ but I'm a real __hero __from the big city. So just let me call the shots. And try to keep up." _With this Beastboy morphed into dolphin while Aqualad merely scoffed in his head, arms crossed over his chest.

"_I'm picking something up on my sonar, come on!" _BB yelled and speeding off, the Atlantean couldn't help but smile at the short changeling's antics.

BB stared in surprise when three other dolphins swam around the bend.

"_Congratulations, you found other dolphins," _the sarcastic voice cut in.

"_I knew that," _Beastboy replied as Aqualad swam up, his telepathy giving him the answers they sought.

"_They told me where to find Trident, try to keep up," _his competitive side getting the better of him.

"_Oh, I'll do better than that," _with this both teens were zipping through the water heading towards the enemy, dodging rocks and cliffs, the ocean floor dipping into great canyons. Aqualad took the lead, but every time Beastboy would change forcing the Atlantean to go faster until the green sword fish rocketed past him heading straight for…

"_Beastboy, stop!"_

"_What's the matter, too fast for, ugh…"_the changeling grunted slamming into the chest of Trident, he hit the rocky floor with a thud at the man's webbed feet. Aqualad stopping short, waiting for the fight.

"_Heh, how's it goin'?"_Beastboy thought mentally stuttering.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, idiot fool!" Trident screamed his weapon firing, the swordfish barely dodged and Aqualad lunged at the yellow eyed criminal, knocking both of them behind the high jagged rocks.

"_Oh no you don't, this time he's mine!"_The green shark snapped heading for the rocks, Trident emerged, his staff charged and aimed straight at Beastboy whose teeth snapped it with ease. The battles began.

* * *

><p>Danny found staring at molecular constructions beyond boring. The bonds and designs washing over him blearily, his vision strangely dark and unfocused.<p>

"Hey man, you find anything?" Cyborg asked stepping up onto the dais, snapping Phantom from his haze, the coils unknowingly deactivating.

"No," Danny stated attempting to focus.

"What are you even looking for?" Cyborg asked standing next to him, his eyes following the roaming patterns of chemicals.

"I'm not sure. Why aren't you helping Tram?" Phantom asked off handedly.

"He's almost done and some of the things he's doing to my ship are just too horrible to watch," Cyborg said his face contorting in pain. The corners of Danny mouth kicked up in a smile. Oh, Tucker and Cyborg would have gotten along great.

"Trident's power is what's bothering me," Danny answered. "Setting aside the fact that he's Atlantean, you said his main weapon was his staff…"

"You mean his pitch fork."

"Whatever, because of this, we can rule out that he's a ghost, and that his new found power isn't a natural occurrence in Atlanteans' genetics. So that only leaves the question as to what his new power truly is, and where the toxic waste comes into play."

"Maybe it allows him to move at speeds we can't see?" Cyborg suggested.

"I don't think so. The configurations don't form strong enough catalysts with the water, which would give him the necessary speed and agility," Danny stated rubbing his head in frustration, ignoring the way it sent waves of pain down his spine.

"Well maybe the toxic waste isn't being used to effect the environment," Cyborg stated his brain working through different formulas and equations.

"Teleportation?" Cyborg asked reconfiguring the structures to fit Atlantean DNA.

"No. I teleport, and that affects the person and the environment, it only seems to affect him…uh, what is he doing? Cloning himself!" Danny snapped sinking onto the floor. In that moment comprehension dawned on both teens faces, Cyborg quickly began remodeling the designs.

"Shit, he is cloning himself!" Cy yelled jumping off the dais and racing to inform Robin, praying that Tram was done. For one long moment, Danny only gazed at the screen, his green eyes shadowed before he stood up from the cold stone to follow Cyborg.

* * *

><p>Both teens were fighting with all their strength, both managing to destroy Tridents' staff. Neither one crossing the others path until Aqualad turned to see Beastboy squid wrestling with Trident, who must have gone after BB after he snapped the staff. Trident threw Beastboy off of him.<p>

"_Incoming!" _He yelled face planting into Aqualad, who scowled, ripping the tentacles off of his face to glare into two big black eyes.

"_I said incoming," _Both watched as Trident fled into a dark underwater cavern.

"_He's getting away!" _Aqualad yelled telepathically to BB both swimming into its darkness. When the cavern split in two, each one ominous, the Atlantean whirled to face the changeling.

"_Where were you back there?!"_

"_Where was I?" _The squid snapped his tentacles coming to rest at his sides defensively.

"_Fighting Trident, by myself!"_

"_You barely laid a tentacle on him!" _Aqualad's mouth moving to his minds words.

"_At least I managed to break his weapon," _he finished, gesturing to himself. Leaving Beastboy dumbstruck and confused.

"_Dude, that's just wrong. I so broke that fork thing!" _Beastboy replied and as Aqualad made to retaliate, both teens spotted movements in the shadows of both caverns, their senses went on hyper alert.

"_**There he goes!"**_Both yelled pointing down the two different paths.

"_I saw him! I'm right, you're wrong, end of story. If you don't believe me, see you later!" _Beastboy called swimming away.

"_And I'm telling you he's this way! If you want to go that way, be my guest. But I'm going to catch Trident!"_ Aqualad yelled and with this he stormed off fuming mad at his inability to work with Beastboy.

The cavern was dark, the only light coming from the craters of boiling water and flames that would erupt from the ground. Aqualad ventured deeper, the steam rolling off in waves warming the water into an unpleasant state. A splash of movement was the teens' only warning before he was attacked from behind.

"_Pretty boy, know it all, show off, thinks he's so…" _the green squid mumbled in his head floating down the dark cave.

"Worthless scum, you cannot defeat perfection," Trident screamed emerging from the shadows, staff in hand.

"_How many of those fork thingies do you have?" _Beastboy thought dodging the onslaught of lightening attacks and turning into a hard shelled turtle when the staffs' sharp points sought purchase of vulnerable flesh before Trident shot him into the shadows.

"I will win. I always win. I am superior!"

A giant green claw reached out gripping the staff. Beastboy emerged a crab.

"_And I thought Aqualad had a big ego." _With this thought he fought back.

* * *

><p>Aqualad slammed into the hot rocks below, his breath forced out of his lungs as the fire continued to erupt around him. Trident screamed from above, his weapon aimed for the Atlantean's heart, who barely managed to spin out of the way before knocking Trident back with a powerful kick. Weapon lost, both warriors swam to retrieve it. And a second too late, Aqualad was staring down three sharp points. Pouring all of his strength into preventing the staff from reaching his head, a boiling crater about to erupt behind him, in a burst of adrenaline the teen shoved the staff to the side. Sending both it and Trident into the mixture of water and lava before he sped off high into the ocean to where light was filtering down from above.<p>

Jumping out of the small lake, Aqualad emerged in an unknown cave. Its contents dark and slimly, unlike his home of pearl blue stone. Hearing a rushing of water the teen turned to see Beastboy emerge from a nearby pool. Both immediately charged at one another from fear, anger, and relief.

"_**I just saw Trident!"**_

"_**No, you didn't!"**_

"_**Yes, I did!"**_

"_**Cut It Out!"**_

"I don't care what you saw, I fought Trident!" Beastboy snapped straining his neck to look up at Aqualad whose eyes were wide with disbelief and frustration.

"That's impossible!"

Beastboy had enough. "O.k. dude, what is your problem?" He yelled trying to charge the teen, only to be stopped by a hand on his forehead pushing him back just out of arms reach.

"What is your problem? We're supposed to be on the same side, but you treat me like an enemy!" Aqualad snapped.

"I don't _need _you on my side. This was _my _mission until you showed up! You think you're so cool, but I've got a news flash of you, you're not better than me!"

"I don't think I'm better than you!" Aqualad yelled, Beastboy froze, staring up at him in shock.

"You don't?" He asked blankly.

"Maybe you're better than me, who cares! I just want to catch Trident, and to do that, we need to stop fighting and start working together," he said looking down at the green changeling whose eyes had fallen to the slimy black floor.

"So, you don't think I'm useless?" Beastboy asked his voice coming out a mere mumble. Aqualad stopped dead in his tracks, the conversation with Phantom coming back. The Atlantean had always assumed that by being in a team you'd always feel needed and relied upon. He never thought that maybe Beastboy or anyone for that matter, would doubt their usefulness. After all, he'd always been alone.

"No, if I did, then I wouldn't have asked to work with you. Teamwork remember," he said and resumed walking, trying to locate where they were, when Beastboy gasped and ran up to him.

"Teamwork…Aqualad! What if there's more than one Trident."

"Don't be ridiculous, how could there be…"

"I know but what if there is. What if he found a way to copy himself? He could be in two places at once. There wouldn't be just one Trident there'd be…"

In that moment, orange goop dripped down from the ceiling and onto Beastboy's nose, the teens looked up.

"…thousands." Aqualad finished as they both stared in shock at the orange egg sacs filled with maturing Tridents, some opening their eyes, watching and waiting to be freed.

"Uh-oh," Beastboy said backing up towards the water.

"One Trident is bad..." Aqualad stated.

"But this is…"

"_An Army!"_Trident screamed as hundreds emerged from the shadows. The barrels of toxic waste clustered behind them, its chemicals spiraling upwards in cords, connecting and feeding the others. The criminals all attacked, staffs in hand, both teens jumped into action, destroying the orange eggs any chance they got until both were thrown back into the hatching computer, the Tridents gathering upon them.

"Great," Beastboy said watching as the program turned on.

"My brilliant plan is already a success," One Trident said.

"…If one of me was perfect,"

"Why not make more?"

"…you can never have too much of a good thing."

"Once my army conquers Atlantis,"

"I will declare war on the surface world!"

"Everyone on the planet will bow down before me!"

"_And Praise My Perfection!"_All yelled out.

Aqualad leaned to his side meeting two hazel green eyes.

"Any bright ideas?" He asked.

"Just one, try to keep up," Beastboy replied.

"So if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?" BB asked sneering at the criminals before him.

"_I am!" _They all replied before confusion passed across their faces.

"Come on," Aqualad said, "you can't all be the best. One of you must be better than the others." He stated. The staffs were all glowing electric gold now.

"I am the original, I am the best!"

"You are not the original!"

"_I AM!"_They all yelled out. And soon Beastboy and Aqualad watched as the Tridents all fought with fists and staffs destroying each other in the pursuit of perfection. Both teens cringing at some of the low blows they took until they were either dead or knocked out.

"Great idea," Aqualad stated.

"Kinda got it from you, now we just have to stop those clones from hatching," Beastboy said and turning both read as the dial went from three, two, one, begin.

"_Too late!" _They screamed as the clones began to emerge. Both teens ran for water, ten Tridents hot in pursuit.

"_We can't let them escape. We have to find some way of sealing the exit," _Aqualad thought.

"_Right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit," _The green swordfish replied.

Both teens reached the mouth of the cave. Soaring past one orange submarine that was now blocking the exit, the sound of twin seismic blasters firing and collapsing the entrance, fusing the broken rocks into molten stone that cooled into one.

"All right!" Robin said over the intercom.

"Cool," Raven replied.

"Victory!" Starfire yelled.

"Boo-ya nice, repair job Tram!" Cyborg called, Tram was whooping in Phantom's compartment sitting on top of the controls, as he and Danny high fived one another. Both Beastboy and Aqualad floated by the ship.

"_Good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't be seeing anybody else for a long time."_

To this Aqualad couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p>Everyone was standing on the shore of Titan's Tower and silently Danny watched from the roof of the sub as Robin presented Aqualad with a Titan's communicator.<p>

"As far as we're concerned, you're an honorary Teen Titan."

"Thanks," Aqualad said taking the small round device.

"We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks," Robin said.

"No problem, it's nice to know there's people up here I can trust," Aqualad replied.

"And it's good to know there are folks down there who know how to fix a hyper jet," Cy said he and Tram clasped hands. The fish engineer saying the mechanical teen's favorite catch phrase.

"Bye Raven, Starfire," Aqualad called both girls stuttered admiring how hot he was, their stares slightly freaking the young Atlantean out, until he stood next to Beastboy who was gazing out at the ocean a smile on his face.

"What can I say, dude, you're the best."

"Nah, you're the best," Aqualad replied to which BB hastily agreed promising his friend a race any time to prove it.

"Just try and keep up," Aqualad said smirking as he waved good-bye to the Titans before walking over to the sub where Phantom sat, the coils dully glowing.

"About earlier," Aqualad started shifting nervously.

"Don't sweat it. What you said was true. Besides, I was only dragged along for the ride," Phantom said a breezy laugh passing his lips, causing the Atlantean to relax and smile up at the white haired teen.

"And you were true as well, thank you for your advice, friend," and Aqualad leapt into the sea and disappeared.

Danny stared one more moment at the ocean, contemplating why he deserved to be called friend. After all, he had been very rude, but the moment passed when he noticed the Titans approaching.

"You guys really aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" He asked a sigh escaping his lips.

"That depends, normally you just disappear, but my guess is you're too weak to go anywhere else. So we're not leaving until you have enough strength to kick our butts out," Robin said sternly to which Danny merely laughed. His body beyond the point of pain.

"That would be nice, but even then you won't leave, so for now," Danny said as he extended his right arm, the bracelet a shining blue.

"Help me up, and get these god forsaken coils off of me."

Cyborg complied, and soon the six coils were off, falling into the sand with a soft thump. Danny collapsed, no longer able to walk. Hastily the mechanical man picked Phantom up and soon a mass of green swirling energy engulfed all of the team, and a second later they were standing in a white lab room. An eight foot tall portal carved into the wall.

Once over their shock, Danny explained how to open up the floor, and soon a small floating white pod with twin green engines on the side, its design crafted to fit through the portal with ease, was hovering above the ground. The metal door opening from bottom up to reveal the inside. Quickly, the Titans entered, noting the two rows of seats and the control panel covering the entire front of the pod and on the ceiling.

Beastboy, Raven, and Starfire all took to the row in the back, as Robin helped Cyborg lower Phantom into the middle seat. Cyborg took to the steering wheel. It was two whole minutes before Cy worked up the courage to ask.

"So uh, how do you open that door," He asked.

"Heh, you're not even going to ask where it's going to lead," Danny said his eyes feeling heavy, his aura steadily turning green. Unknowingly, the pure glowing green eyes now held shots of crystalline blue.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked, the thought never having crossed any of the team's mind. Danny merely smiled.

"To see a friend. Spectra-Speeder, activate ghost portal, set coordinates to locate the nearest door to the Far Frozen lands."

And with this the heavy metal doors opened to the otherworld. Green energy making the Titans stare into its swirling depths.

"I trust you know how to use a steering wheel?" Danny asked, after a moment of embarrassing stuttering, and a few choice words, Cyborg put the ship in drive. And the Teen Titans were off heading through the portal. Danny silently praying he'd be able to make it until they reached Frostbite.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	10. Chapter 9: the Great One's Mask

_The darkness is eclipsed... _

_"Begin the End_

_The seesaw tilts from side to side, and then_

_Reset our lives, we can; begin again."_

_~Hunter_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 9: The Great One's Mask

It had been well over an hour, the Titans all asking sparse questions when something caught their eyes. Overall, Danny had answered most of them, even though his mind bordered on unconsciousness and his eyes were closed, head resting on the back of the seat.

"So, why are there doors and then islands?" Robin asked as Cyborg flew past a giant arched doorway, a heavy bolted lock barring passage.

"Some doors lead to lairs, others passageways between here and the Human Zone. But most lead to different places in the Ghost Zone. The islands are created from either a ghost choosing to live there, or are created from the destruction of land in the Human Zone, for example Pandora lives in Greece," Danny answered, shifting to take the weight off his burning legs, he slid lower into the chair.

"Wait, so does that mean dinosaurs are here as well?" Beastboy asked amazed. Danny merely chuckled.

"Don't know. The Ghost Zone is so big, but sure, why not. You have to understand, there aren't many rules here. What's up might as well be down. All I know is that this place is the opposite of that which is alive. Even our sun is different. It rises in the west and sets in the east."

"So, everything here is a result of it dying in the Human Zone?" Robin asked, to this Danny shook his head.

"Please, don't be so self-centered, the Human Zone isn't everything you know."

Robin would have been offended by the answer if not for the smile crossing cracked lips.

"Sorry, I guess we're just having a hard time trying to understand," he snapped back his tone light.

"Don't, this place isn't meant to be understood," and with this Phantom fell asleep. His aura dimming, pale skin humming with electricity.

It had been well over an hour since they'd entered the Ghost Zone, and Cyborg was hesitantly heading in the direction that the flashing screen said to go.

"Dude, can't we go any faster?" Beastboy asked as he shifted, uncomfortable in the back seat much to Raven's displeasure. Starfire merely tried to accommodate the changeling.

"Ok, first off we're flying through a place that looks like Alice in Wonderland gone wrong. We have an unconscious ghost, whose in pain and clearly doesn't like us, and I'm being forced to drive stick without so much a clue as to how to even operate this machine! So sorry, I'm not going fast enough for you, _you little grass stain!"_ Cyborg snapped managing to glare at BB while dodging the floating doors.

Beastboy shrunk back apologizing quickly. The tension in the spectra speeder rose, Danny oblivious to it all as his mind began to draw him into the reality of dreams.

"Robin?" Starfire asked timidly, when he turned to look at her, she continued, "If friend Phantom is a ghost, and he said that this place is the opposite of alive, then how did he die?"

"The greater question is, how does he exist?" Raven spoke, the Titans all gazed down at their friend in worry and amazement.

* * *

><p>The place smelled of smoke and crushed stone, sirens blaring loudly to a coming threat. One that had already happened before…or was it after? Danny didn't know. Wandering the streets of the city, his heart beat erratically in his chest. <em>This place? <em>Cold dread swept through him, the place bent and twisted, it attacked with black flames, searing. The teen could smell his coppery blood that seeped into his tattered clothes, flowing beneath him onto the pavement. _Was he lying down? _Danny felt blood bubble up in his throat, along with a scream he realized was piercing the air one octave lower than the wailing sirens.

He needed to _go, _he had to run…they were…weren't they dead? _No_… black bangs fell into his face, sticking to his forehead. Green eyes opened frantically when he felt someone pushing him down onto the stone.

"No!" Danny tried crying out, he couldn't _breathe_, his lungs were moving too fast…to slow, he needed _oxygen _he needed…he heard frantic voices above him. Sounding as if they we're coming from above water. Why didn't they pull him up? He couldn't _breathe_. He was drowning, panic took over, and Danny tried to lash out. But his body screamed in electric pain.

It felt as if someone had knifed him in the stomach. God, it _hurt_. His legs were convulsing uncontrollably, and the knife in his abdomen was spreading. Cutting deeper, sinking into him and moving. Strong arms were holding him in place, and Danny let out a strangled noise he couldn't recognize.

He needed to get away; he felt the knife stop sinking, ice cold needles in his neck took over. And suddenly the teen saw the faces shimmering just above the surface of the water. It was the Titans. They were watching him. Trying to reach him, and Danny felt his heart tighten.

_Why were they here? Couldn't they tell he was of no use? _A crumbled building stood out in the fog. The remnants of a boiler discolored just inside. He saw Robin order something, and the arms disappeared. Leaving him to fall onto his knees in front of the burning hell that had once held his life. _How had he been standing? _Danny watched as Robin disappeared, only to be replaced by Raven. Her hands glowing a soft silver, placing them just below his neck. It was a strange feeling, he could feel them, and yet he couldn't. His sixth sense told him they were there, but he couldn't feel her touch. Only the pull of pain leaving his body in a wave of heat, sweat beading his brows. Once done, he watched her form shimmer and leave, giving him a full view of the Ghost Zone. _Why were they here? _Someone was speaking again, the voice controlled and stern, under-laced with barely restrained panic.

"_We need to hurry, Cyborg, floor it! Phantom? Can you hear me?"_Robin asked drifting in and out, the words a garbled mess. Danny felt his breath catch in his throat, _god the pain_. His voice sounded raspy and hollow.

"Down to…when, snow," Danny let pure darkness take him.

The spectra speeder was deathly quiet. Cyborg tore through the Ghost Zone, hands bending the metal steering wheel.

"Wh-what was that?" Beastboy asked, his whole body trembling from what the Titans had all witnessed.

"I don't know," Robin replied shakily, looking to his friends. Phantom now resting his head on Cy's shoulder, his breaths short and even. The boy wonder turned his gaze to the three Titans sitting in the backset. Starfire was now in the middle, her hands down by her sides, Raven's purple eyes wide in shock and Beastboy trying to stop his desire to hide in the corner.

"Thanks, Star," Robin said. The alien girl merely nodded. Her hands trembling, red burn marks marring the tan skin. She had been the only one capable of keeping Phantom in place.

"Raven, can you…" Robin started to ask his voice snapping Raven back from whatever place she'd been, and gingerly she took Starfire's hands in her own, and began the healing process. Her violet eyes wide and unfocused. Once finished, Star gave her a brief thanks, and the team fell into silence once more.

* * *

><p>"<em>Danny, in a fight, who do think would win, Cyborg or Robin?" A boy with a red beret asked.<em>

"_Thanks. You know, for taking me flying," a girl with silk black hair said smiling, red dusting her cheeks._

"_You're my little brother. I'll always take care of you."_

"_Wait, you don't know who Cyborg is? He's the best Teen Titan ever!"_

"_Danny, I..."_

"_Danny!"The red head screamed in panic._

"Phantom?" Someone asked, their voice cutting through the voices of his loved ones. Everything felt like lead, his ears were stuffed with cotton, and he felt as if his mind no longer connected to his body. Still, Danny managed to crack open one eye, revealing a dull light green, the dilated pupil concealing the crystalline blue flecks. He saw the outline of someone he should know.

"You're okay. Whatever is happening, it's not real. You're going to be fine," the voice said. Sounding more like it was trying to convince himself rather than Danny. _What was wrong? _He thought. His mind vaguely supplying the knowledge that someone named Robin was speaking to him. He didn't understand, everyone was just talking to him…Sam, Tucker and Jazz. They were just _talking_, right? Danny's mixed colored eye slid closed. The dizzying fog pressing in, he felt sweat run down his temple. God, it was hot. But his skin was cold as ice, as if trying to keep himself from overheating, and yet freezing him all at once.

"_Danny, we'd love you no matter what."_

"_You're our son and we love you."_

_His parents were so stupid, how could they say that when he'd killed them._

"Phantom, listen to me, we're all here. Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beastboy, and me, Robin. We're here and I promise you, we'll help you," the blur said, his voice pleading. People agreeing, voicing their opinions, trying to give him strength. _For what though?_

_Together we make six. _Danny thought, tears spilling anew down his pale face. _Was this why everyone was so worried? That he had been crying? _Danny didn't even realize what he was doing any more. He only felt pain and loss. _What had he lost?_

_Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Mom, Dad…we used to make six._

Danny felt the tears this time. Running down his face. Branding him like hot knives. His thoughts were lost and rampant. He knew he was losing something, he needed to hold on, but he couldn't remember. His temperature was rising with the electricity humming below his skin. The first thump of a heart trying to restart.

Fire was lapping at every nerve. Every bone seemed broken like glass, cutting and slicing him from the inside out. And Danny tried in vain to hold onto what little reality he had left in his pounding head. People were speaking, but in the blackness of the dream he couldn't hear them. Danny never felt when the spectra speeder was hit with a powerful ecto-blast. A mechanical robot with flaming green hair in hot pursuit. The Titans didn't know that the green eyes which were closed; hidden beneath pure snow white hair, were now ice blue.

"What the…" Cyborg yelled as he steered the spectra speeder, dodging the flying rockets that the enemy was sending their way.

"I guess even the Ghost Zone has villains. Cyborg, can you make this thing go any faster?" Robin asked, the other Titans moving from their seats, trying to locate the speeder's weapons panel.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Cy said, trying very hard to throw off the ghost while making sure Phantom wasn't jostled.

"You will be mine, ghost child!" The enemy screamed. His voice echoing around the cabin, sending shivers down the team's spine. Cyborg spun the ship around a black door as an ecto-blast made contact. Splintering the wood, the force throwing the ship backwards.

"Hey!" Beastboy yelled gripping the edge of the seat while one arm pointed out the window.

"Snow!" He yelled in relief. The ship took a hit throwing the Titans forward, Robin catching Phantom's weak form.

"What did he say when we saw snow?" Robin screamed ignoring the vertigo. Cyborg shot the ship high into the sky.

_"You will be mine!"_ The ghost yelled.

_"Dive!"_ Raven screamed, her violet eyes wide in fear. Cyborg dived, and the ship headed straight into a spiraling snow cavern. Pillars of ice jutting out, meant to destroy anything that entered. It took all of Cyborg's focus as a pilot to dodge the traps. The snow reflecting pure white rays, blinding the team. The Titans clung to their seats, the momentum driving them forward, wanting to throw the teens into the glass window.

The exit was fast approaching, its light brighter than the sun. For a second, the Titans felt hope… they were going to make it. A deafening boom filled the air from the rocket that tore through an engine and blasted a hole into the side of the ship surprising them all. Starfire screamed, and soon the Teen Titans were blown backwards into the ship as it crashed into the snow fifty-feet outside the exit.

The ship jumped and screamed. Glass shattering and raining down on its occupants who no longer sat in the seats that were torn and warped. But they laid in the middle of the ship, on the broken metallic floor. Smells of smoke and heated metal filling their noses. The spectra speeder came to a stuttering stop.

Starfire was the first to awaken, heart hammering in her ears. Slowly she sat up to look at her friends. Every one of them looked as if they'd been thrown around like ping pong balls. Dark purple bruises forming on exposed skin, blood dribbling down shallow cuts and onto the glass covered floor. Looking down, Starfire could see she was no better off. Her tan skin littered with cuts and dark covered blotches, and she could feel the glass beneath her digging into her thighs.

"Robin, Cyborg, friends, can you hear me?" She pleaded and soon each Titan woke up, slowly taking in the pain as a cold breeze filled the ship.

"We're alive?" Beastboy asked as a wave of nausea swept through him. The changeling swayed, falling to the side. Raven caught him, worry in her eyes as she noticed something red and sticky clinging to the back of his messy green hair.

"Yes, we're alive. Phantom?" Raven asked ignoring her own wounds. Working instead on Beastboy's, who thanked her softly.

"He's o.k. I managed to shield him from the impact," Cyborg said sitting up, revealing Phantom. Every Teen Titan let out a sigh of relief before they heard the sounds of a jet pack getting closer.

"Titans, go!" Robin said and soon the teens were standing outside, ankle deep in freezing snow. The wind biting their open wounds, the green haired ghost approached.

Skulker landed not twenty feet away, a smirk plastering his lips, green machete sliding out of his arm.

"What's this? It seems the whelp has a new set of friends now. And interesting ones at that. Tell me, who's the leader?" Skulker asked menacingly never moving, the cold not fazing him in the slightest.

"I am. And trust me when I say you're not getting your hands on Phantom," Robin snapped. The Titans taking defensive positions around the side of the ship, weapons armed.

"Please, like Phantom needs people like you to protect him? But if it's a fight you want, I'll thoroughly enjoy mounting your pelts along with his above my fireplace!" Skulker said laughing manically. The Titans just looked sick. Beastboy actually swaying on his feet, although he couldn't tell if it was from his head injury or not.

"Um…o.k…ewww." BB replied. Skulker prepared to fire and the Titans tensed for battle.

"Titans, get ready to…"

"What do you think you're doing here, Skulker?" A voice demanded. The Titans spun around as five ghost yetis emerged from behind the ship. Their leader wearing a blue robe slung behind his shoulder. His eyes glowing ice blue and menacing, he and the others went to stand in front of the Titans. Skulker, who the Titans now observed, went deathly pale, his aura diminishing.

"I…" He stuttered, deep voice straining a few octaves. The leader of the tribe merely growled.

"Leave."

Skulker didn't need to be told twice, and soon he was flying away, back up the cavernous mountain. Once gone, Frostbite relaxed and he turned his attention back to the five teens that stood defensively in front of the spectra speeder. All of them trembling from the cold.

Frostbite could only smile gently at them, telling his warriors to return home. As they left, he watched indecision flash across the teen who claimed to be their leader.

"Relax, young ones, I will not harm you," Frostbite said watching as the team seemed to relax, but something was troubling him.

"Tell me, why have you taken the Great One's Spectra Speeder? The Ghost Zone is no place for those who don't know how to navigate it."

At the mention of the name Great One, Frostbite watched the team suck in their breath. Looks of hope and desperation crossing all of their faces.

"Are you an ally of Phantom's?" The leader asked approaching Frostbite, dried blood matting his black bangs.

"Yes. I am one of his ally's," the snow yeti answered. To this, the Titans all rushed forward, but the leader quickly cut them all off.

"Then please help him, he's been badly injured, and we've come seeking help."

Frostbite stood there in shock at the change of demeanor in the five teens. One moment, they had been strong and determined, now they stood here looking up at him broken and beaten. The snow yeti snapped out of it. And quickly he strode forward, his robe billowing around him, snagging on the wrapped metal of the ship, until he was bending down, looking into Danny's face. Whose eyes slid open, revealing pure ice…blue? Frostbite found he couldn't breathe. Gingerly, he picked the teen up in his arms, shielding Danny from the Titans' sight.

"Great One?" Frostbite whispered unable to believe it. Danny merely smiled, red-green blood sloshed down his mouth.

"H-hey F-Frostbite," Danny passed out. The next moments passed in a blur, and soon he and the Teen Titans were racing to the city. Phantom clutched protectively in Frostbite's arms, who could feel the stuttering of a restarting heart.

"_How long has he been like this?"_Frostbite screamed his voice echoing loudly in the roaring wind. Danny found it too loud and to hot, but he couldn't move. Distantly, he heard a baritone voice answer three days. Danny wanted to laugh when he heard Frostbite curse. He never realized when he was placed on the ice table.

Everything was hazy, the pressure in his stomach electrifying and hot. It was trying to split in two again, and Danny let out a cry as he felt a vice like razor slide in between his vertebrae, resting below his neck. The pressure increased, and the white hot knives slid out from his body. Forming one shaky white ring.

"_The pressure isn't enough, his nerves aren't responding."_

"_God, increase the electric flow, and lower his body temperature to twenty-two degrees. We have to stop his heart."_

Something cold slid underneath his chest, and Danny vainly fought back. His body convulsing involuntary, it was burning cold and white hot, and all the teen could feel was agony. The razor pulled the bones in his neck sharply to the right. A scream filled the electrified air. His back arching upwards away from the unforgiving table. The ring stabilized.

Danny wanted to wail, to scream, to cry, to do anything that would stop this pain. It was never ending. The white hot thing clawed and ripped him through his bones, through muscles, through nerves... His neck was snapped to the left, the crack of soft white bones being heard more than felt. Slowly, ever so painfully slow, Danny felt the white ring separate and begin to travel up and down his body, which now lay limp on the cold burning table. His breaths were almost nonexistent.

"_He's stabilizing!"_

"_Quickly, we don't have a lot of time, mend the bones."_

Those were the last words Danny heard. The transformation finished, and the yeti doctors set to work. Strengthening the weak heartbeat of the raven haired teen that'd barely hung onto life.

* * *

><p>The Titans were sitting in a well decorated ice room. Blankets resting on the furniture, the air a cool sixty-two degrees. They had been left waiting for three hours. Robin gazed at his team from beside the double paned glass window. Beastboy, who had a minor concussion, was sleeping quietly on the couch, an alarm set to wake him. Cyborg was pacing quietly while Raven and Starfire were both meditating in the middle of the room. However, when the doors opened, every Titan was up and alert staring at Frostbite when he entered. A tired look in his yellow blue eyes.<p>

"How is he?" Robin asked walking forward, the yeti taking a seat in the big fur chair.

"Relax, the Great One will be fine. We managed to stabilize his form. He should be fully recovered in about three days."

The tension in the room instantly vanished, the Titans all collapsing wherever they were. Frostbite couldn't help but smile at how much these teens cared.

"Tell me, who are you, young one's?" Frostbite asked. To this Robin introduced himself and the rest of the team, who all nodded and smiled at the yeti. Whose robe was now a royal green, the gold coil dancing in the blue firelight.

"I see, and you are Cyborg?" Frostbite asked looking to the half robot who merely nodded sitting on the couch, his dark brown eye wide with slight surprise.

"Your idea of using an electrical current to contain the Great Ones power was very smart. It saved his life," Frostbite stated causing the teen to blush. Although, the snow yeti decided not to mention how the current had been the only thing keeping Danny in his ghost form.

"May we see him?" Starfire asked, her wide green eyes pleading to see their friend. To this Frostbite shook his head and stood.

"I'm afraid not. The Great One is still very tired and has not yet awakened. But once he is ready for you, I shall let you know. Until then rest, our scientists are already repairing the ship," with this he left, leaving the Teen Titans alone with their thoughts.

Raven was the first one to speak, her thoughts finally boiling over.

"Robin, there's something you should know about Phantom," she said and with that, she had the Teen Titan's full attention. Raven dove in, detailing what she had seen back on the spectra speeder.

* * *

><p>Frostbite walked through medical wing of the science department. His feet carrying him to the room he wanted with the ease of familiarity. He pushed past the white door and entered, where a yeti nurse stood at the foot of Danny's bed. She had slim shoulders, her face was narrow and sharp, and she was wearing a one shouldered dress clasped in gold around her thin waist.<p>

The nurse's pale grey eyes met Frostbite's before she nodded and set back to work. The snow yeti took up a chair next to Danny's side, watching her adjust the machines and open a new IV. Soon he was alone with the teen, the charts back at the foot of the bed, the only sounds coming from the heart monitor, and the slow, even breaths rolling off Danny in waves.

"We almost didn't make it. Oh, Great One, what has become of you?" Frostbite begged, he only received silence in return.

* * *

><p>"So what you're saying is that those reactions might have been memories back on the ship?" Beastboy asked shock clear on his face.<p>

Raven merely shook her head, confusion in her eyes. "I don't know. Everything was so messed up, I was just kind of _there. _I don't even know if what I saw was real," she said rubbing her temples the feeling of a headache coming on.

"But every scream, every cry, could have been a memory?" Star asked her eyes brimming with tears. She remembered Phantom begging for it to _stop_. Raven bowed her head. Robin held the alien girl close as she sobbed into his arms.

"_St-stop, please. I just want to…stop."_

Blearily, Danny opened his eyes to the blinding florescent lights. He heard the sounds of a weak but steady heartbeat and wondered if this meant he was alive. Slowly, he sat up, body aching with exhaustion, and Danny nearly collapsed back onto the heated white sheets and give into the desire of sleep.

"Great One? You are awake," Frostbite said, to which Danny merely groaned, and turning his head, he was met with relieved pools of yellow blue.

"Am I alive?" Danny asked, voice shaking. Fevered memories of drowning in watery fire filled his mind. Frostbite placed a cold, soft hand on the teen's face, mindful of his sharp claws, and ruffled the matted raven hair.

"Yes, welcome back, Great One."

Fat droplets then fell down Danny's ivory skin, as he wound one shaking hand around Frostbite's arm. Burying his face into the coarse white fur. And for the life of him, Frostbite never wanted to let the sobbing teenager go. But Danny would never remember if these were tears of happiness or ones of sadness.

"Your heart is steadily getting stronger. It appears that your body is finally beginning to stabilize itself now that your powers are no longer being disrupted," the doctor said. His face was slightly plumper than Frostbite's, who was sitting across from Danny, holding one thin hand in his. Danny drew comfort from it, for it seemed to be the only thing reinforcing that he was indeed alive. The claw shifted, drawing its cold warmth away from the teen. Snapping Danny out of the haze he'd fallen into.

"Great One, are you getting this?" Frostbite asked while ice blue eyes stared at him questioningly.

"Yeah, my heart's getting stronger blah, blah. I should be fine in three days."

The doctor snorted at this, giving Danny a glare that could rival even Jazz's.

"As long as you don't turn into Phantom. You need to understand, Great One, your ability to change rests in your nerves electrical responses. That blow to your neck disrupted the flow that allows you to create the balance needed between your human and ghost side. And as of this moment, your human body is too weak to stay in ghost form, and if you even try, I guarantee the results won't be pretty," the doctor said his eyes serious and dark.

"Why?" Danny asked, his black hair falling in his eyes and to this Frostbite answered.

"Because, Great One, you stayed in Ghost Form too long. Your body needed to rest, and so it began demanding you change, only it couldn't. It was plainly obvious when I found you. Your human heart which is normally protected in its ice core was beginning to beat."

Danny merely shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. Is that why every time I pass out, I turn human?"

Frostbite nodded, "Indeed. Believe it or not, Great One, your powers are derived directly from your human side, which is why you can still use your powers in human form. Granted your ghost side is stronger and easier to control. But for you, death is merely an extension of life."

"So me being dead, means I'm alive," Danny stated his head spinning from trying to grasp something that seemed to run between his fingers like water. Frostbite merely laughed at the look of pure confusion on Danny's face. He laid his hand on the teen's warm shoulder.

"Do not worry about it, Great One. Just don't use your powers for a couple of days, and you'll be good as new."

With this Danny nodded, the nurse came in and took his temperature which read a steady eighty-eight point one and his pulse a strong thirty beats per minute and steadily rising. Her eyes sparkled in approval.

"You should be fine now. Great One, if you wish to leave I advise you rest and try to get some sleep," with this she left placing a set of clean clothes on the chair beside Frostbite. For awhile Danny could only stare at the cleanly pressed white shirt, a single neon green strip running down over his heart, the dark washed blue jeans, and black combat boots sitting on the floor.

Danny didn't know what to do. And that's what scared him. He knew he should get dressed, find the Titans, take them home, and make sure that Fixit hadn't had a panic attack. But the normalcy of it all terrified him, and the treacherous hope that spread through his heart, begging him to get to know the Teen Titans threatened to tear down every shield, every fortification and every promise he'd made to himself after his loved ones died. Danny never even realized he was trembling until Frostbite placed a bracing hand on his back, waiting until the halfa found the control to stop the fear clawing through his long abused body.

"Great One?"

Danny let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"I'm fine, could you go get the Titans, I think we need to head home."

Frostbite merely nodded preparing to leave before he whirled around and placed a silver ring on Danny's finger.

"What was that for?" Danny asked looking at the small piece of jewelry.

"Just making sure your identity stays intact," he said and left.

Danny gave a huff of annoyance before he stood. His muscles pulling while his bones ached, particularly in his neck and chest. Slowly Danny exchanged his tattered human clothes for the ones sitting on the chair.

* * *

><p>Walking down the hallway Frostbite couldn't help the smile cross his face. The Great One…no, Danny was going to be alright he still had a long ways to go, but the snow yeti had a good feeling about the ones who called themselves the Teen Titans. Before he even realized it, the ghost was standing in front of the guest room door and pushing it open he walked in to five teenagers sitting tensely on the furniture. All of them stood up immediately, their eyes serious and positively sick with worry.<p>

"The Great One is awake, would you like to go and see him?" Frostbite asked. Robin's answer was curt, but the snow yeti took no offense. He could feel the emotions practically radiating off the teen. He led them down the hallway and soon they were in front of the door, pushing it open revealed Phantom tying the last knot on his black combat boot, his snow white hair unruly from sleep, the white shirt baggy. So caught up in the sight that for a moment the Teen Titans forgot that the person before them was a super hero and a ghost at all, he seemed so…weak, so human.

"Great One, the Teen Titans," Frostbite said as they all entered. Danny smiled softly as he stood up from the bed, his glowing green eyes bright and healthy.

"Thanks," Danny said to both Frostbite and the Teen Titans.

"No problem, man," Cyborg said his arm rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Starfire rejoiced at his recovery.

"Glad to see you're alright," Robin added his entire posture filled with relief.

Danny felt his heart flutter in nervousness and fear, causing him to sway slightly on his feet before he caught himself and shook it off. The action didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"We should head back now," Danny said not wanting them to ask what was wrong. The Titans merely stayed silent, Danny heading for the door.

"Great One?" Phantom turned to Frostbite.

"Yeah?"

"Your ship should be repaired in two days time," Frostbite said vanishing from the room and startling the Titans. Danny huffed his thanks and looked back to the Titans.

"Well, aren't you coming?" He asked, and quickly they followed.

"So, where are we going?" Beastboy asked as the team followed Phantom through the hallways.

"We're not going anywhere. I'm taking you home then coming back here to pick up my ship," Danny answered his tone soft.

"Speaking of, how did my ship get destroyed?" Danny asked eyeing Cyborg who shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Some ghost named Skulker attacked, demanding you become a pelt on his wall," Raven answered blankly, every other Titan shuddered at the thought. Danny couldn't hold back the laughter at their reactions.

"Oh, man, you guys were defeated by Skulker?" Danny gasped out his eyes watering.

"Hey, if it's any consolation, it was _your_ ship that didn't hold up!" Robin snapped his face beat red.

"Whatever, I guess since the treaties gone he would be hunting me now," Danny chided his glowing green eyes still holding in the laughter. Those harmless words sparked a memory in Robin.

"Hey, Phantom, earlier back at the theater, that one ghost mentioned something about a treaty, what does that have to do with you?"

For one moment the team thought Phantom wouldn't answer. His glowing green eyes fighting an inner battle before he hesitantly began to speak.

"The treaty was created stating that as long as I never entered the Ghost Zone, minus visiting Clockwork, the ghosts wouldn't attack the Human Zone anywhere within the state I was living in."

"Why was it created?" Robin pressed his curiosity getting the better of him, but Danny's mouth clamped shut and he refused to answer. The rest of the walk to the main lab was quiet and strained. But once they entered the massive circular room Phantom visibly relaxed.

"We're here."

The Titans looked around the room filled with machines in confusion as Danny made his way up the stone dais, where hovering above a pedestal an ancient scroll rotated in a lulling circle.

"Um…dude, how do we get home?" Beastboy asked, the Titans following Phantom up onto the dais. Danny merely smiled and told them to grab hold of the scroll.

"Infi-map, take us to Titan's Tower," he said and with this, a force latched onto each member's wrists and pulled, the map yanking them forward, a path drawn out into its green cast sky. The Teen Titans and Danny were speeding off through the Ghost Zone flying towards a portal, hovering right above an ancient castle with gears turning all around it. Danny couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips as they entered the swirling green energy. And soon they were falling from the ceiling of the Tower's living room the portal remaining open. Danny was the first to recover. He pulled himself up and out of the tangled mess of limbs.

As the Titans all stood brushing themselves off, Danny couldn't help the stab of pain his heart felt at the thought of leaving.

"Well, now that I can kick your butts again, see ya," he said preparing to open the map.

"Wait!" Robin called, and before Danny could protest, he handed him a yellow and black communicator. The white haired teen was stunned speechless.

"You said we wouldn't leave you alone no matter what, well you were right, we won't." Robin let go of the device, a smile on his face as his team stood behind him.

Silently, Phantom turned pocketing the device, he didn't know what to say, and he was afraid to react. So he simply turned, instructing the map to take him back to Frostbite's. And as the map pulled him back up and into the portal, Starfire caught a glimpse of something that sent her mind reeling. For there, stretching from wrist to elbow, was a long white clawed scar, exactly like the one adorning Danny Fenton's arm. Phantom was gone in a second, the green portal closing, leaving Starfire standing there wondering if what she'd seen was even real at all.

* * *

><p>It was early Wednesday morning when Danny finally made it back to his house. Walking out of the black door into the living room, he felt his heart hammer beneath his breast when he couldn't find Fixit.<p>

"Well, it's nice to see you've finally returned," Fixit said causing Danny to jump and face the robot sitting in the kitchen, a book open on the table, a glass of hot oil steaming in a mug.

"It's nice to see you didn't have a panic attack," Danny replied tiredly. Taking off the silver ring his appearance changing, silently he made his way to sit on the counter top. Fixit merely scoffed at the badly delivered remark and watched the teen's blue eyes begin to slip closed.

"Please, I would never show my emotions in such a way…besides, a man showed up and said you were fine," Fixit stated his ocean blue eyes carefully gauging Danny's reaction. The teen's eyes opened slightly trying to focus on what Fixit had just said. But Danny was quickly losing the battle of consciousness. The adrenaline long since passing from his system, and his body reminded him of the fact that he needed to rest.

"Who came by?" He asked his words slurring slightly.

"I'm assuming it was a ghost. He was blue with red eyes, a scar running down one, and he carried a calming demeanor, he had a pendulum on his chest and a staff which held a ticking clock. This ringing any bells?" Fixit asked as he got up from the table and lifted Danny up, carrying him to his room. The teen merely mumbled something that Fixit realized was a name, and even before the robot laid Danny down onto the light blue covers, the teen was already asleep. Fixit merely sighed, pulling the dark blue comforter up to the teen's chest before he floated out of the room preparing to open the store, his heart immensely grateful that Danny was finally home safe, because even though Fixit wouldn't admit it, he really almost did have a panic attack.

Everything was beginning to change. In the darkness of sleep, Danny knew this, but he felt something coming. It was the same thing that always came and fear gripped his heart, he needed to go…they were…weren't they dead?

"No, stop…please, I want to…stop." Sweat covered him as he ran, trying to get away from the smell of ash and stone. It was coming, Danny began to fight, and he needed to do something…was this real? They were almost here, the raven haired teen didn't know who, but he knew he'd be too late. He stumbled in the dark, a strangled cry of fear passing his lips it was almost…everything stopped.

Hesitantly, Danny opened two blue eyes and instead of seeing the pile of blood and ashes, he was standing in the middle of the central Park in Amity. The leaves were swaying, rolling sound waves like the ocean, and the stone fountain was showing the reflection of the thousands of star's in the night sky. The air was cool, when Danny felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. He tensed knowing who it was even before he turned to see Sam's amethyst eyes.

"S-Sam," his voice was a strangled sob. The Goth girl smiled, pulling him in for a fierce hug, the ones she'd always given Danny whenever she'd been alive. Danny couldn't stop the tears pouring down his face as he buried himself in the crook of her neck. The smell of lilies and soft jasmine filling his senses.

"_Danny," _She replied her voice soft and constricted, fighting back the tears. She'd always hated crying. And Danny suddenly knew why, it was so very taxing.

"Sam, I thought…this isn't happening, you're not here."

Sam cut him off from his rambling, her hand pressed up against his lips, she smiled, breathing in the scent of fresh snow, she'd never told Danny that's what he'd always smelled like.

"_Danny, it's alright, I know. You don't have to go back there_," She said, and while dread filled Danny at the thought of _there_, he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Sam, I can't. You know I can't," he whispered, and it was the truth. He was clinging onto something, but he didn't know what and it was hurting so badly. He yelped when he felt the toe of one combat boot connecting to his shin.

"_You will listen to me you infuriating…you won't go back. I'm giving you permission to never set foot in that awful place, got it?" _She said, fear and determination entering her voice even though she knew it was an impossible task, she wouldn't give up. Danny could only nod for fear of the steel toed boot. He watched a smile spread across those violet lips, and soon Danny found himself smiling too, even though his heart clenched painfully in his throat.

"_Good, now I have to go. Don't you dare do anything stupid while I'm gone, Fenton," _Sam said a look of sad irritation passing over her face.

"What? Where are you going? Sam?" Danny cried out as the night time sky seemed to take her away, leaving the white haired teen screaming by the fountain, he never realized when he'd changed.

"Why? Sam, why can't I go?" His voice was hoarse from the plea. He heard the wind cry.

"_It's o.k. we're all still here. Danny, you don't have to go back to that place. Promise me you won't get stuck in that nightmare," _Sam cried her voice carried on the leaves waves.

Danny's knees gave out from underneath him. He couldn't breathe, he was drowning. It hurt, the hollow cries of his soul wishing to follow his family.

"I-I promise," his voice was a strangled whisper as he wrapped his arms around his shaking chest which threatened to break open. God, he hated crying.

"_Good, love you, Danny," _she whispered lovingly, then Sam's presence was gone and Danny woke from the dream his body curled into a ball, the blankets a tangled mess, his black unruly hair falling down into his pure green eyes. Hiccupping sobs passed his lips before he managed to say those drowning words.

"Love you, Sam."

Everything was changing, and as he lay there sobbing, arms wrapped around him so tight he couldn't breathe, Danny had made a promise, one that he would keep. The only problem was, he couldn't remember what the promise was for, and that only made breathing so much worse.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	11. Chapter 10: The Masks of Two Heros p1

_Now I see things..._

"_Although, I know it's unfair I reveal myself one mask at a time."__  
><em>_Stephen Dunn_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 10: The Masks of Two Heroes

Slade sat high up on his thrown, the pendulums in the background turning nosily in their disharmonious state. It was dark, cast in hues of black and melted gold, with its master watching the screen from the camera well placed on the beach. It was zoomed in such way that it caught the movement of five teens looking tired, but relieved as they entered their Tower after attending to a minor bank robbery with some worthless criminal. Well this just would not due, the man thought. His plans were already in motion; he'd leaked the information into the Underworld, now, all he had to do was wait. But Phantom was not among them, and Slade had no way of finding the teen…well almost none. His one black eye drifted over to the side where the screen displayed Danny's bookstore. A smirk plastered itself on the man's hidden face. It was time to test the waters.

* * *

><p>It was half past five when Danny managed to untangle himself from the covers. Slowly, he sat up, feeling the fuzzy white carpet sink between his toes as he stood and headed for the bathroom. The lights were too bright and the hot water did nothing to sooth the dull ache still pulling at his spine, but as Danny changed into a deep sea green turtle neck with baggy grey washed sweatpants, what caught his attention were his eyes, which were red rimmed and cheeks slightly puffy from tears earlier shed. It made him look…younger. He looked fourteen again, not sixteen. The teen quickly pushed all thought from his head, opened the door and headed up the wooden steps into the store.<p>

Fixit had been handing a girl a strawberry muffin at the small café when he spotted Danny move to sit behind the chestnut countertop. His head resting lightly on one hand, blue eyes hidden beneath raven black hair.

"You should still be asleep," Fixit said floating over to the countertop, taking a seat next to the teen. Danny let out a snort.

"Couldn't, and besides, I won't be able to sleep tonight as is. Hey, what day is it?" Danny asked noting the afternoon sunlight drifting in.

"It's still Wednesday, you've only been asleep for the day. Now, do you mind telling me where you've been for the past three days?" Fixit asked stressing the 'three days' part while shooting his best glare at Danny, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But first, tell me how yours went."

The teen had been surprised to learn of everything that had happened in only three days. He felt proud that Fixit had managed to ward off angry shoppers, place orders for twenty different people per day, and reorganize the upstairs comic book section to fit in Mega Monkeys, and add new seats in the lounge for the growing Geek Club which is what they called themselves. Danny found that part pretty hilarious.

Overall, he couldn't help but smile as his friend informed him of the daily life Danny had grown accustomed to. It also helped when Fixit told him how much revenue they were bringing in from the comic book and gothic poem collections. But with one questioning glance, Danny began to explain what happened the night he left to patrol the city for the first reemergence of ghosts.

At first, the raven haired teen was hesitant to speak on what he'd been feeling when he realized he'd been trapped as a human in his ghost form. Or how he'd woken up in Titan's Tower with the five teens looking down on him like he was the most important thing in the world, a sharp pain digging into his neck.

Fixit hadn't been to happy when Danny explained that the Titans took him on a mission in order to monitor his uncontrollable powers. But was glad at how the Titans all bravely entered the Ghost Zone for him in order to get to Frostbite. And for the first time in over a year, Danny felt himself beginning to open up. Pushing himself to go beyond the world he'd shut himself in. Once finished, Fixit sat on the stool next to him lost in thought, watching while Danny told a customer where to find the books on Ancient Roman literature. Finally, after much deliberation the robot spoke.

"So since you were human, breaking your neck directly interfered with your powers."

"Probably," Danny said sitting back down, "but my powers most likely were already screwed up from the Puppet King since he tried to drag out my soul, which my powers are directly tied to. My bones snapping just made it worse…o.k. make that a lot worse. I'd probably be completely dead now since my body couldn't change back," he said rubbing his neck nervously. The simple words_" by being dead I'm alive" _ringing in his ears. The confusion and fear in Danny's ice blue eyes did not go unmissed by Fixit. He knew the teen was still holding back, Fixit let out a frustrated sigh.

"I see," and with this he let the subject drop.

* * *

><p>Robin was staring at a simple article written by Harriet Chinn for the Harold News. It had never been released, but mysteriously turned up on the internet after she'd been let go from the prestigious company. It was bold, and on it the picture of a ghost and a man in an orange hazmat suit were fighting it out. The caption, 'The Wisconsin Ghost, the Eye Opening Experience'. It was the exact same ghost who they'd seen at the theater, the one who'd called Phantom his son.<p>

Although, Robin was sure Phantom hadn't heard that, and the Titans were all pretty sure the ghost called Plasmius wasn't Phantom's father. Simply due to the pure look of hatred in those glowing green eyes. But still, the question was why? Why was Plasmius going after Phantom? First in Wisconsin, when Harriet briefly said there was another ghost present, one with glowing green eyes and snow white hair, then Amity Park, and now here.

Was the vampire ghost really that obsessed? Why did he want Phantom as his son, and how far was he willing to go? All of these questions were turning through Robin's mind, but the most troubling question was, how is Danny Fenton involved in all of this? For it seemed that wherever he went Phantom followed, and wherever the ghost teen went, Plasmius followed. And then there were the whole separate questions for Phantom himself. Not to mention Danny. All in all the boy wonder found his mind staring at a triangle of questions, with no answers, and no way to connect the dots. So focused on the matter at hand, Robin nearly missed the flashing red monitor on the computer indicating the possible whereabouts of Slade's next attack. Quickly, the teen opened the file and read the chatter of the Underworld.

* * *

><p>Danny and Fixit had just finished closing up shop. It was around seven-thirty, the red sun filtering in through the windows, casting the shop in a beautiful array of browns and gold. Slowly, Danny made his rounds through the shelves, reorganizing and picking up books left on the seats, as he moved through the stacks he never noticed the shadow following him.<p>

Slade watched, his eye picking apart the teen's movements from his relaxed posture to the way his muscles rippled beneath the long green shirt. The man couldn't help the smirk cross his face while watching Danny who steadily seemed to tense, ice blue eyes beginning to scan, unknowingly looking for something that made his sixth sense scream out in nervousness.

"Danny?"

Said teen spun to face Fixit, who floated down the aisle his blue eyes bright with confusion.

"Is something wrong?" Fixit asked noting the teen's stiff posture, his legs set in such away he looked ready to jump ten feet in the air. Slowly, the muscles loosened, and Danny relaxed, running a hand through black hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine. There something you need?" Danny asked placing a book back on the shelf.

"Yes, we have run out of food, and I am preparing to go restock. I just need you to check over the list and make sure everything's there," he said extending his arm, the list resting lightly in his long spidery fingers. Danny took the list, scanning it over, a slight frown on his face. Once done he handed it back, glaring fake daggers at Fixit.

"You're never going to let me eat Pop-Tarts again, are you?" He replied the question more of a statement. To this the robot smiled broadly.

"Never."

Danny sighed. "Fine, I hope they've run out of Penz Oil," he said, Fixit merely rolled his eyes and promised he'd buy real pastries. The compromise worked, and the robot left, leaving Danny smiling as he continued his rounds, brushing off his earlier fear. Until he heard the creak of the wooden railing.

Danny coiled like a snake, his eyes snapping up to where Slade stood balancing on the strong wood, one eye glistening maliciously.

"Come now, Danny, I'm not here to fight," Slade said watching Danny's frame shake in anger, only his fists seemed to hold a slight tremble.

"Then why are you here?" Danny spat his voice strong, even while he felt fear clawing at his throat.

"For information, tell me, do you know what these are?" He asked throwing down a small screen which Danny caught with ease, immediately recognizing the three disks being displayed on it. They were a part of DALV's scientific center. One of Vlad's more fruit-loopy plans, each disk contained different sectors that were in the industry.

The first disk lined in red contained experimental testing on the chemical Xenothium for weapons and energy supply in competition against Wayne Enterprises. The second disk in blue held the new engineering plans for the construction of a fusion chamber. But the last disk, the one lined in green, made Danny's heart drop, for that was the disk that contained all of the knowledge on the structure of halfa's and ghosts molecular structures, with the Fenton's guide to building anti-ghost weaponry.

It was the disk Vlad had sworn to destroy after Danny learned about it. Apparently the fruitloop lied. Not that he hadn't expected that, letting out a growl Danny threw the display screen back in Slade's face. The man merely chuckled not knowing that the teen's clenched fists were an attempt to control his powers.

"What's the matter, afraid?"

"Go to hell. You're not getting those disks," Danny spat, preparing to leap.

"Oh, but my plans are so much greater than that. Besides, there's only one disk I'm particularly interested in," he said and with this Slade jumped into the stacks barely missing the fist aimed at his chest. Danny stood on the wooden railing catching his breath, looking at the spot Slade had disappeared too.

"Damnit," Danny said. He needed a plan, one that involved getting a hold of the green disk– that contained all of Danny's parents' stolen blueprints mind you– and all of Vlad's own research. But first, he needed to know where the disk was being kept. Jumping back onto the first floor the teen raced for the phone. He somehow misplaced his cell phone about a month ago, how he had no idea, but quickly Danny dialed, it was only on its first ring before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Fixit?" Danny asked.

"Who else would I be?" Fixit asked lightly.

"Normally, I'd say something witty or snarky back, but right now we have a big problem," the teen replied instantly catching the robots attention.

"What do you need me to do?" Fixit asked his tone serious. Danny could almost picture the look of determination on his face.

"Well, how good are you at hacking into a billionaire fruit-loop's insane security system?" Danny heard a snort of amusement and knew they were off to a good start.

* * *

><p>Robin and his team moved into position. Waiting silently in the dark room, one red disk rotating like a prize on the podium as the man dressed in black and bronze jumped down through the air vent, a full mask covering his face. Robin appeared from the shadows, a scowl on his face.<p>

"Tell Slade if he wants this, he can come get it himself!" He sprung into action, his leg kicking the thief square in the chest. The fluorescent lights turned on, revealing the five Titans in the large computer built room which quickly filled with enemies. They leapt into action.

Danny and Fixit were down in the lab. The robots red eyes focused on the computer, hands flying across the keys, green encryption codes falling prey to his masterful mind. Danny couldn't help his nervousness, his patience wearing thin, his foot began to tap incessantly.

"You know, keeping rhythm won't make me go any faster," Fixit said his fingers never faltering. Danny blushed, foot going silent.

"Sorry. You almost done? I really need to know where the fruitloop stored the green disk."

Fixit shook his head.

"Almost, Masters has some pretty hard firewalls. Not to mention the viruses encoded designed to infect my system. Why did you let him keep such a thing?" Fixit asked, the fourth wall broken. Danny frowned.

"I didn't. I watched him destroy it along with the lab, besides I was a little preoccupied to double check," Danny finished his hair falling in his eyes. Fixit paused momentarily before he typed in the final code.

"I'm in, now to search the main frame of DALV's in Jump City," Danny sighed in relief as Fixit got to work.

The Titans were being overwhelmed by the hoard of men attacking, their weapons fired burning golden beams that severed whatever they hit. Robin barely made it in time to pull Star out of the way of a falling flood light, both froze as three men prepared to fire. The teens jumped slightly when a giant square computer, roughly six feet tall, slammed into them. Cyborg brushing off his hands, a smile on his face.

"Amazing what you can do with computers these days," Cy said jumping back into the fray.

Fixit paused, his red eyes raised in surprise.

"What?" Danny asked.

"The central DALV Company is under attack."

Panic flashed across the teen's face.

"Is the disk there?" He asked fearing the worst.

"I can't confirm, so far I've only narrowed the search down to five buildings that seem to be missing information. All of which run on a separate system, meaning that if I'm not there, I can't hack their system," Fixit said his eyes turning ocean blue, a frustrated frown on his face. Danny raced out of the room heading for the training area, the robot quickly followed.

"Fixit, I need you to design a hard drive that'll allow you to hack and download all the information from this location. I can't risk you going into battle and getting hurt, got it?" Danny asked as he entered the room and headed for the black ninja outfit hanging on the wall.

"I understand," Fixit watched as the teen pulled on the uniform, put the sword on his belt, snatched up a Fenton phone and left.

Raven dodged another attack. The men were becoming more violent. She pulled up a dome black shield as the attack hit her square on. She could only stare in horror at the two deep gouges in the metal ground that would have cut her in half. Slade wasn't fooling around, he really wanted them dead. And what was worse was that these men, if they were men, held no emotional distress at what they were assigned to do.

She looked up to the charging man; a fist aimed at her face, the thin black shield was an automatic response. Her mind taking over in its desire to defend. Raven hadn't expected him to take out her legs, she hit the floor with a thud the man looming over her, weapon aimed at her heart. It crackled with energy, the green ram slammed into the goon with such force Raven was sure Beastboy had shattered the guys' bones. She stood up, eyes wide at a smiling changeling.

"You owe me big time!" He said in a sing song voice, repeating the phrase even as another goon ran from behind him, the charging of his weapon the only warning.

"Wahh!" BB screamed a black computer sheet slammed into the attacker, who dropped like a fly. Sheepishly, Beastboy turned to Raven who now looked annoyed, hands on her hips.

"Heh, call it even?" He asked.

Cyborg and Starfire were firing at the man in the black bronze mask who dodged with ease flying over them, snatching the red disk and running down the hall. Robin let his boomerang sore knocking the disk out of his hand.

"Mine!" Beastboy shouted, his long anteater tongue wrapping around the chip. He felt the crunch of a boot and soon he let go, his now human eyes watering. The man taking possession of the disk and rejoined the group of five who all disappeared in the smoke bomb.

"That tasted so nasty," BB said.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled running towards the only exit, the team hot on his trail.

They ran down the hallway into the main area revealing six doors in its hex-like shape, everyone paused.

"Spilt up!" Robin yelled. Each one of the team members dashed through a double door. Robin looked down at the barred drain in the center of the room leading to the sewers, and he was going down. The water splashed up his knees as he landed, the dim light catching the movement as one man dashed around the corner. Robin gave chase, dodging the attacks in a flip and roll, countering with his own metal disks, which were easily destroyed. The man ran down another tunnel throwing a grenade at the entrance. Robin watched through the small window of rocks and pipes as Slade's man disappeared down the tunnel. He approached a dead end and took out his weapon, firing a steady golden beam cutting a wide circle revealing the outside world and a hundred foot drop into the sea. Starfire floating in the air worry on her face.

"I am asking you nicely to stop running and…"

She never finished her sentence when he fired, Star's tough skin being enough to handle the attack, but the pain encroached on her vision. Soon she was falling, staring blankly while the man jumped, his boots activating, rockets propelling him upwards. Robin raced forward through the tunnel not hesitating to jump, one grappling hook wrapping around Starfire, the other around the man's shoulders pulling him down. He fell like a rock before jerking forwards, speeding towards the shore as Robin screamed from behind, dragging Starfire along. They crashed on shore, and Starfire woke up to the feeling of a fish in her mouth before spitting it out. She jumped when she heard Robin's voice.

"Now talk! Who's Slade? Why does he want this chip? And why are you working for…" Robin trailed off as he yanked the mask away revealing the TV screen of the robot and Slade staring at him through the monitor.

"Excellent work, Robin," Slade said a gear turning in the back ground.

"Slade," Robin growled.

"Really, I think your skills are improving," he said his tone serious.

"No more games, what do you want?" Robin snapped out. The robot lifeless in his grip, Slade shook his head in disappointment.

"But you do lack patience. If you're really so curious about my intentions perhaps we should meet, face to face?" He said his tone calm and never changing.

"Tell me where you're hiding and I'll be there in a heartbeat!" Robin snapped, Slade merely drew back.

"Patience, Robin, patience," the screen died in a fireball of electricity, none of which Robin could recover. Robin stood his muscles tense, his anger clear. Slowly, Star approached, forest green eyes concerned.

"Robin?" Was all she asked, but he gave no reply.

* * *

><p>Danny had made it to DALV corporations just as the Titans were returning the chip. Quickly, he slipped into the shadows, Robin ordering the guards to never let the chip leave their sight. He watched as the Titans left, anger radiating from Robin which made Danny very nervous until they were gone. It was then he noticed the layout of the main hall, the hexagon fractal code in his parents designs, the sewer entrance representing the central memory key, the teen felt his blood boil.<p>

That stupid fruitloop, it was like he was begging the government to come and discover how to build anti-ghost weaponry, very effective weapons at that. Shaking off his desire to scream and go ghost, Danny had to remind himself he wasn't allowed to transform for three painfully long days. So with some deep breathing and a few promises to beat the living daylights out of Vlad, Danny stealthily moved forward, down the hall to catch a glimpse of the disk. He practically sighed in relief when he saw red floating in the room, the guards positioned on either side.

Disappearing into darkness, Danny sat down, his ice blue eyes observing the entire room from above. His mind trying to sort through the facts. First, Slade obviously wanted only one chip and if Danny was right, it was the green one. Second, Slade was going after him as Phantom, the question was why. Third, by attacking here it meant he didn't know which building housed the green chip, Danny felt relief at that. Unfortunately, it meant he didn't know either. Fourth, since Slade didn't get the disk, it meant he was going to try again. All Danny had to do was wait here. But the one question that sent chills down the teen's spine was the look on Robin's face when he and the Titans walked away, leaving Danny with only one thought. Just how far was Robin willing to go to take down Slade?

* * *

><p>Robin had locked himself in his second room, it was spacious if not for the papers littering the floor and plastered on the wall. The desk, lit by only one overhanging light, was scattered with broken weapons and papers filled with Slade and Plasmius. Two unrelated villains, yet Robin couldn't help but focus only on Slade. Pushing every thought of Phantom and Danny out of his mind, Robin got to work. Every taunt, every challenge, every praise rung in his ears.<p>

"Who are you?" Robin asked frustration leaking out in the dark room, the sliding door opened filling the room with temporary light, Starfire entered hesitantly.

"Robin? I am wondering if you might wish to…"

"No," the teen answered with his face hardening, glaring down at the shattered mask on his desk. It took a second to realize who he was talking to, he began making amends but only that.

"…thanks. But I need to figure out why Slade wanted that chip," Robin said, for the first time turning to see Starfire's brilliant green eyes.

"Agreed. And perhaps if you were to…take a break the answer would be easier to…"

Again she was cut off, the smile on Star's face disappearing as Robin spoke the simple words "I can't," pain spilling through his well controlled mask.

"You almost got hurt," he said approaching where she stood just outside the door. "Next time it could be worse. He's planning something, I have to find out what," Robin finished his voice growing softer as his thoughts began to run through all manners of theories and facts, still he came up with nothing just a simple option.

"But Robin, I am sure…" Star tried again, but the boy wonder didn't even hesitate to close the door. The girl lowered her head in silent defeat. Robin looked at the lone desk sitting in the abysmal room, he'd made his decision.

It was well into the night when the alarm system went off once more, red lights flashing. Danny instantly straightened while the guards left the room. Silently, he slid out his sword, blue eyes searching when suddenly a being came into existence beside the podium. Shocked, Danny stood frozen to the spot his mind racing, this teen obviously wasn't dead since his ghost sense hadn't gone off, but how did he do that?

Calming his heart, the raven haired teen began to observe this new enemy. He had a skull for a mask, a red X on the forehead running down one eye and he dressed all in black, a blood red X placed over his heart, slashing downwards into his stomach, his belt looked pure silver, and held the highest technology along with his gloves and boots that would have made Tucker drool, not to mention the waist black cape made him appear bad ass. Overall, Danny had to give him credit, he looked like a villain.

So why had he suddenly decided to appear? Most criminals wouldn't dare go after technology this hot because it was too risky to fence, not to mention the tightened security. Although, since the guards were locked out, Danny guessed it mustn't have been too hard to get in here.

Red X grabbed the chip when the doors exploded, the two guards running in and instantly fired, quickly Danny slipped away. After all, there was only one exit now, and he needed to get there before this teen did. So he headed up.

The Teen Titans were waiting on the roof, Danny had barely made it to the shadows when they had appeared, only Robin was missing. Listening closely, he heard Cy's communicator go off, a video screen appearing on his arm.

"I'm working a Slade lead on the far side of town, sure you guys can handle this without me?" Robin asked.

"No problem," Cy said smirking the other's nodded, the transmission ended. Danny felt his phone vibrate. Reaching up to his ear, he turned on the blue tooth to his Fenton phone.

"You heard that?" Danny whispered to Fixit through the line, praying that Beastboy didn't have super hearing with those big pointy ears.

"Indeed. Robin is not there."

"Fixit, I want you to see if that lead is true. If he's chasing down Slade, I need to know where."

"Understood," with this Fixit hung up and Danny disconnected, the creak of metal doors could be heard, Red X emerged onto the roof. The Titans moved forward catching Red X's attention, Cyborg activating his sonic cannon.

"You working for Slade, tough guy?" He asked. His voice a growl as Red X tensed preparing for battle.

"Red X works alone," he said and with this he fired a blood red X from his palm and Cyborg returned fire, his sonic cannon hitting it dead on, the explosion cancelling the attacks out. Soon, Red X was dodging the attacks, and Danny watched as he alone took down each Titan. He launched attack after attack, covering Beastboy in red goo holding the teen in place no matter which animal he morphed into. He bound Starfire and covered Raven's mouth in X's. And with Cyborg he tapped into his computer system wired in his back and shut him down, leaving Cy to only yell profanities. It was then Danny had enough, as Red X began to run for the ledge of the building he moved from the shadows revealing his form and stopping the teen in his tracks.

"Who are you?" Red X asked his voice mechanically cautious. Danny's only reply was to raise his sword. They fought. Red's attacks all were being blocked by the swordsman. Slowly, Red X began to realize that the stranger was only on the defensive, soon he'd switch and this caused fear to spring in the teen's heart. Quickly, Red X made a dash for the ledge, he heard the swish of the blade cut through the air as he soared into the sky, twisting, he fired one burning X which hit its mark, but the strange swordsman only stumbled back instead of being thrown. Red X caught sight of ice blue eyes before he allowed invisibility to cover him, and he disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p>Danny stood on the ledge, his sword grasped limply in hand while he tried to catch his breath, the smell of chemical Xenothium filling his nose. Danny let out a small growl, knowing he'd have a nice big bruise on his chest for the day, but the knowledge that if Red X had so chosen, he could have used that chemical to incinerate him instead gave him pause. This only filled the teen with more questions of who Red X was. Looking at the fallen Titans, only confirmed that Red X was someone who was not a villain. Slowly, Danny made his way over to Cyborg, placing his sword back into its sheath.<p>

"Fixit?" Danny whispered.

"Don't worry, just speak normally, I've modified the Fenton phone to alter your voice." Danny breathed a sigh of relief, stopping short when Starfire and Raven took defensive positions even though both girls couldn't fight. Danny held up his hands in surrender.

"Relax, I'm only going to help," Danny tried not to jump at the sound of his voice, for it sounded too deep and smooth. It reminded him of Dan only far less evil. Still it didn't stop the teen from mentally flinching when the Titans only held their ground.

"Why should we trust you?" Cy said sounding menacing even though he was face first on the pavement. Danny let out a sigh.

"Look, you can talk me through resetting your system, as soon as I free Starfire so she and Raven can help Beastboy. Or I can stand here all night and watch you four do the funny chicken."

"Hey!" BB yelled. The five teens all stood in silence for a minute before Starfire approached Danny, eyes studying his every movement.

"If you wish to help, then please do so."

Danny nodded and pulled out a small ornate dagger, its handle as intricately carved as his sword. Carefully, he slipped the blade between her and the X and set to work. It was a tricky process, the red binding hard to cut without nicking Starfire, and in the silence all Titans observed Danny.

This teen looked like he'd stepped out of the feudal era in Japan: his black haori tied in a traditional silver knot, the same color as his long collar, black pants flowing out until being clasped by the black boots. His hands were covered in sliver silk almost looking white, the long black selves stopping just before his wrists. And a wrapped half black mask covered his nose down to his neck, the long material flowing down his back in two strips, revealing only two ice blue eyes which were hidden beneath the black monk hat, along with his midnight hair. With a last tug the material came free, and Starfire gratefully stretched her arms.

"Thank you…"

Danny merely shook his head. "Go help your friends." A flicker of disappointment crossed Star's face, but she did as instructed while Cyborg talked Danny through his systems. Fixit offering advice in the teen's ear. The growing suspicion of who Red X was weighing down like a weight in Danny's stomach.

* * *

><p>"Rumor has it you're interested in this," Red X said holding up the red chip. Slade merely stood his ground, looking back at the man on the screen. His gray eye emotionless to the man who managed to hack into his computer system. Impressive.<p>

"I'm interested in many things Mr.?"

"X. Red X."

"Hm. Catchy. So are you proposing a sale? Or a gift?" Slade asked his half bronze mask hidden in the darkness, voice dripping in maliciousness.

"A partnership. I give you the chip, you cut me in on your plans," Red X said his eyes narrow.

"A partnership my, my… we are ambitious. But an alliance cannot be forged from one small chip, if you're going to win my trust, I'll require more," Slade said the challenge rising in his voice.

"Just tell me what you want."

Slade smiled beneath his mask.

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning when the Teen Titans finally came home. All of them gathering in the kitchen watching Starfire cut chunks of red goo out of Beastboy's hair.<p>

"I had no idea Red X would pose such a threat. I should have been there," Robin said his arms crossed behind his back.

"You bet you should have been there, look what he did to my doo! I'm lookin' at two months of bad hair days!" Beastboy shouted while Starfire sat on the countertop cutting down BB's hair, making it spike out all over the place. Raven tried to speak, her face angry, the team followed her gestures to the X still wrapped around her mouth. What she wanted was clear.

"I don't know Raven, that's kind of a good look for you," BB said, Raven glared daggers.

"Hold still," Cyborg said while the rest of the team already began to cringe even before he ripped off the X. BB and Star screamed matching Raven's thoughts as the nasty red mark vanished from her light gray skin.

"Ow. Even if you had been there, it wouldn't have made any difference," Raven said her hand rubbing her slightly swollen lips.

"Dude knew exactly how to bring each of us down. I guarantee he had a gadget with your name on it," Cyborg said holding the little X in his hand.

"Agreed. You need not feel guilt. We are undamaged," Starfire said. She forgot about the scissors in her hands.

"Hello?!" Beastboy said waving his arms madly, a scowl on his face.

"Mostly undamaged," Star amended a blush on her face.

"And we are all eager to learn what you have discovered about Slade," she added her eyes shining with hope. Robin merely seemed to pull away his eyes hardening, his voice steely.

"Nothing, lead was a dead end. I should get back to work," he said and when he turned to leave what Star asked next made his blood run cold.

"Perhaps we should call Phantom, he could…"

"No!" Robin said causing the team to jump, his mind reeled for an answer."Sorry, Star, but I don't think that's such a good idea. He's still recovering, and didn't he say he was staying in the Ghost Zone while his Spectra Speeder was being repaired?"

"Yeah, Star, besides we still have that strange ninja guy to deal with," Cyborg said the team agreed and talked amongst themselves allowing Robin to slip away. Walking down the dark hallway Robin allowed his mind to wander. If Phantom had gotten involved no doubt he'd be exposed, but that still brought into question just who was that other teen, and why did Robin feel like he knew him?

* * *

><p>Danny was pacing in the lab while Fixit added the last touches to the new device, with a final click and a soft beep it was finished.<p>

"Here, this hard drive will allow me to hack and download any information from this location."

Danny paused, absently taking the drive and pocketing it in his long pants, he'd yet to change out of his uniform, and the only things missing were his hat and mask which were thrown haphazardly on a table.

"Thanks," Danny said a small smile on his face before it scrunched up in a look of frustration.

"Red X is still bothering you," Fixit stated, the teen let out a frustrated sigh and flopped down on the tile floor.

"No, it's Robin who's bothering me," Danny said while Fixit joined him on the floor, feet showing beneath the blue robe.

"You believe Robin may be Red X."

Danny nodded half-heartedly trying to deny his thoughts.

"What do you think?" Danny asked.

"I believe it's a strong possibility. The Slade lead was a false trail, and I found no evidence disproving your theory. Plus, if Red X truly were a threat, why did he not kill the Titans back on the roof instead of leaving them incapacitated?" Fixit asked. The teen closed his eyes and stood, heading over to the table to grab his gear. Leaving the robot very confused.

"I do not understand, if Red X is Robin, does this not make things better?"

"No, if anything it makes it worse," Danny said securing the black mask, heading out into the night.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	12. Chapter 10: The Masks of Two Heros p2

_But they're far from clear..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 10: The Masks of Two Heroes

Part Two

The Titans burst through the main door leading to the living area.

"O.k. Robin what's the…" Cy trailed off not spotting the spiky haired teen.

"Robin?" Star asked as the teens looked around the empty room.

"You mean captain research, he's probably filling out note cards at the public library," Beastboy said tiredly, his eyes and ears droopy.

"I was."

"Arghhh!" BB yelled Robin appearing on screen.

"But then I spotted Red X pulling a robbery in the tech sector. I'm on it, get here as soon as you can." Robin disconnected leaving Beastboy agreeing to thin air, drool running down his mouth. Cyborg grabbed him by his purple uniform and pulled. "Arghhh!"

* * *

><p>Danny had managed to infiltrate two of the three remaining buildings and so far all he'd managed to do was watch tech scientists go about their boring day and get a new intern to spill coffee on her white blouse. Cursing his luck, Danny leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his frame nothing more than a streak in the night. He was heading to the tech sector where only a small branch of Vlad's 'legitimate' company operated, almost missing all of the Teen Titans chasing Red X down.<p>

"Fixit, you there?"

"Yes."

"Looks like Robin isn't Red X," Danny said leaping up onto a small warehouse ledge overlooking the fight. A wave of relief coursing through him only to be shattered by Fixit.

"Are you sure? Because the Fenton phone is only picking up six sets of movement, and you're one of them."

"What?" Danny paled his eyes widening while he watched Robin get trapped in a red net.

"I'm fine, get X, go!"

Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beastboy left Robin behind heading down into the subway station, quickly Danny leapt from the building free falling onto the roof below, where he turned off the prerecording of Robin.

"Danny?" Fixit asked through the headset, he never replied.

The team entered the empty station, the smell of gasoline and cigarette smoke filling their noses. Cyborg switched the setting of his red eye.

"I've adjusted my ocular implant to scan at multiple sub harmonics in the EM spectrum."

"Kay….do you come with sub titles?" Beastboy asked, Cy clarified.

"My eye should spot him even if he's invisible."

It only took a second for Red X to strike, sending Cyborg skidding across the concrete floor sparks flying from his metal.

"It's him!" Raven shouted the Titans taking defensive positions watching Cyborg stand. Red X emerging behind him, attempting to hack into his systems once more, but the X only sparked Cy's back surging with electricity. He looked over to the now visible villain, smirking.

"You're gonna have to learn some new tricks, dog," Cy said throwing the teen to the other Titans who surrounded him.

"Surrender, we do not wish to fight you," Star said. Red X merely tensed on the ground, his feet preparing to leap, he looked at the girl.

"Sorry, I'm not through with you yet," Red X said jumping high in the air throwing his X's at Star, Raven protected the girl as she flinched away. Cy slammed his fist into the ground missing the man by inches. Again, Red X seemed to know every in and out of the Titan's movements. He knocked Cy and Star together, threw Raven into the heavy wooden crates. But the one who caught him off guard was Beastboy, his body slamming into him with the force of a truck, or in his case: a ram. As Red X caught his balance around the column, he swung back and hit the changeling square in the face. The force sent him flying, his head connecting on the railing with a crack. He fell down into the subway tracks.

Disorientated, Beastboy tried to stand, but his legs felt like a mushy mess, his head throbbing, and his eyes blurry, or was that from the growing light. Fear took hold of Beastboy as he realized where he was, and what was coming…the subway train. Beastboy only sat there his hazel green eyes wide, ears flattening to his skull, when someone yanked him by his collar dragging him up and out of the tracks, the train zooming by. Both teens landed on the other side of the station. The changeling got up slowly, his back hurting tremendously, but he pushed it aside and looked over to Red X. His eyes filled with confusion as he studied the skull masked teen.

"Dude, did you just save me?" BB asked his only answer was to get kicked in the chest, the train disappearing into the black tunnel. The other Titans quickly joined Beastboy staring at the stairs where Red X had fled. Starfire helped BB up.

"Beastboy, you are undamaged?" She asked.

"Yeah, who is that guy?" Beastboy asked, no one could answer.

* * *

><p>Danny watched as Robin emerged from the subway station running down the alleyways, he followed high up on the rooftops jumping silently. Red X twisted down a path, disappearing into a run down building. Danny followed, thoughts centering on beating the living daylights out of the Titan. He only managed to reel in his rage when Robin activated a computer, the image of Slade popping up, his coal black eye appraising the teen.<p>

"Impressive, Red X. I tapped into the security cameras to watch your performance, you treated the Titans to quite a show," Slade said. Danny felt his heart drop into his stomach, watching Robin agree, asking if the audition was over, holding up the red and blue disks.

"Patience, trust is easy to destroy, but it takes time to build. One last test, prove yourself and we'll meet to discuss your future," Danny's heart raced when he saw the image of the green disk appear, the address right below. The image abruptly cut off, the computer nothing more than static. The teen watched as Red X turned.

"Good," he said, hands coming up to the skull mask, and Danny's worst fears were confirmed when the mask came off, revealing that it truly was Robin under that mask. He'd still held the slight hope that it wasn't.

"It's about time we met face to face," somehow Danny knew that had originally come from Slade. Resisting the urge to confront Robin in person, Danny knew he had bigger things to worry about. Like getting to the green chip before anyone else. Sighing, the teen took to the roof, cold wind biting through his black clothes, the blade resting like a weight on his hip.

"Danny?"

"Yeah, Fixit?" Danny asked feeling a guilty pang at the worry in his friend's voice.

"You refused to answer me earlier. I take it Robin is indeed Red X."

"Yeah, I also know the location of the green chip and I'm heading there now. It'll take me about fifteen minutes if I push myself," he said and by pushing himself he meant without flying, which right about now Danny really wished he could do. Man, doctor's orders really stunk.

"How did you learn of its where a bouts?" Fixit asked, Danny leapt down onto a condo.

"Ease dropped on a computer conversation between Red X and Slade," Danny said like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. Fixit let out a soft growl.

"And what do you plan to do after we have the information?"

"Destroy the chip, why?" Danny asked his feet propelling him onto another building twenty feet away.

"If you destroy the chip before Robin arrives won't you jeopardize his life? After all, if that is the last chip, Slade won't be happy to find it gone, he'll more than likely attack. And without Robin's team to back him up since he's Red X…"

"Okay, I get it! Don't destroy the chip. I won't risk Robin's life, even though he does deserve a good beating," Danny mumbled under his breath, Fixit still heard it though.

"Danny!" He reprimanded though it was lacking any real fire.

"What? I've been having to play _stalk-the-hero-but-I'm-pretending-to-be-a-villain_ all day. Do you know how much I feel like Edward Cullen right now! It's friggin' awful," Danny said his voice rising and falling with every step he took. The other end of the line went strangely quiet.

"Fixit?"

"Why do wish to be this, Edward Cullen?" Fixit asked his voice serious, and so confused, Danny couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't. You know, never mind, I forget you lived under a dump for the last twenty years."

Fixit sputtered indignantly, "I was only down there for five."

Danny couldn't help but smile at his friend's reaction, he landed on another roof. Only ten more minutes away.

* * *

><p>Four of the Teen Titans were staring at the massive layout of Jump City, two green dots flashing on separate buildings.<p>

"Okay, that's where Red X has been, now we just have to figure out where he's going to strike next," Cy said as Raven typed in the new data onto the computer screen which processed and registered over twenty different possible locations.

"_Great_," Beastboy said looking at all the ground they needed to cover. The Titans stared at the screen in frustration.

"Robin!" Star exclaimed watching their leader walk into the living room carrying a box full of gear, his face stern and emotionless.

"Wonderful, our efforts to locate Red X will benefit greatly from your help," she said floating slightly off the ground in her joy.

"It'll have to wait. I'm close to a break through with Slade," Robin said heading up the stairs.

"More wonderful, perhaps we could be of assistance to…"

Robin disappeared down the dark hallway. Starfire's feet hit the soft red and gold carpet.

"Let him go. Not like he's been much help anyway, if Robin wasn't always a-w-o-l, X would be k-o'd by now," Beastboy said his frustration getting the better of him, but he raised a valid point.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Beastboy's right," Raven said.

"He never even asked us who the ninja was yesterday. Ya'll think maybe Robin's losing his grip?" Cy asked.

"No! Robin's grip is not lost. He works harder than any of you, he works to catch Slade before something terrible happens, he works to save us all," Starfire said desperately trying to make her friends understand what she witnessed on the shore after the fight in DALV labs.

"Yeah, that's why every time we need him, he disappears," Beastboy said his arms crossed over his chest, leaving Starfire with nothing to say because she knew both of them were right.

* * *

><p>Starfire opened the door to Robin's private room. The same desk in the center, articles lining the walls and tools on the desk. Walking inside, she noticed that her friend was not here and that only made the fear in the pit of her stomach grow. For what if Cy, BB and Raven were right…<p>

She picked up a shattered boomerang, "Robin, where have you gone?" she asked. A flash interrupted her thoughts as a small dark silver ball rolled from the desk and onto the floor, activating when the dropped boomerang hit it, turning on the hologram. Starfire stared in horror at Robin who was trapped in the red net.

"I'm fine, get X, go!" He said.

"Huh, Robin?" She asked walking forward when Robin repeated the phrase again and again. Form blurring in and out of focus. Star placed a hand through his transparent head and recoiled, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

"If you were not really there, then where were…" Star sucked in her breath the moment she knew where her friend was, and who he was pretending to be.

* * *

><p>Danny moved through the building, dodging personnel and cameras with ease—which only served to make Danny's nerves stand on end. Entering the massive computer room he raced across the floor and picked up the chip.<p>

"Fixit? You there?" Danny asked through the Fenton phones.

"Yes, you have the chip?"

"I do," Danny said taking out the black and blue hard drive, inserting the green chip.

"I'm breaking through the firewalls now," Fixit stated the hard drive humming quietly, blue lines turning a dark red.

"Downloading now."

Danny shifted nervously on his feet, blue eyes scanning the room for something out of place. He didn't know it was because Slade was watching him intently.

"I've completed the download."

"Thanks," Danny said placing the chip back on the podium disappearing into the darkness. Slade tilted his head, eyes narrowing, watching as the teen pressed his back up against the wall, waiting.

"Interesting," Slade spoke, Red X entered the room seconds later grabbing the green chip. Moving from the darkness into the shadowed light, Slade wondered how this would play out.

"Excellent work," Slade said watching the teen turn to face him, catching the movement of Danny behind him.

"Honestly, I couldn't have done better myself."

"So, do we have a deal?" Red X asked, Slade smirked when he saw Danny freeze in the shadows.

"Indeed, you and I are so very much alike. It seems, only natural that we should be partners," Slade said extending his hand even though they were on opposite sides of the room, he watched Danny tense.

"What are they for?" Red asked holding up all three disks, "I need to know what we're planning _partner_," he said stressing the last word venomously.

"Patience, you can't expect me to trust you with such sensitive information right away, can you, _Robin_."

The next seconds passed in a blur, the net snatching the disks from Robin's hand. Slade catching it, right as the cool metal blade pressed up against his neck. The lights came on, and all three of them were surrounded by Slade's robots.

"You?" Robin gasped, taking a defensive position watching the teen behind Slade shift slightly, illuminating his eyes.

"Drop them," Danny ordered, blade cutting through the neck armor with ease. Slade merely turned his head, black eye narrowing.

"What's with the hesitation?" Slade asked enjoying the anger ablaze in those crystalline blue eyes.

"Your blood will ruin my sword."

The man could have laughed at the insult, when the ground shook beneath their feet, the Teen Titans bursting through the roof.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg shouted. Slade twisted, blocking the sword and he sprinted down the corridor, Danny racing after him. Robin dashing after them.

A fist grabbed his cape.

"Gotcha!" Cy yelled as Raven and Beastboy fought off the robots. Red X struggled in his grasp.

"Let go, we have to stop him!" X yelled pointing to where Slade and the teen disappeared. In that moment Starfire appeared,

"No! Release him, he is…"

"Me!" Robin yelled ripping off the skull mask, the team froze. Cy's hand releasing his hold.

"Robin?" He asked, but the teen didn't hear him for he was already down the hall.

"Slade's getting away, come on!" He yelled Cy stared in shock, but he, Raven, Beastboy and Starfire recovered when the robots surrounded them.

* * *

><p>Sounds of metal on metal rang through the night. Danny and Slade trading blows, the armor around the man's arms serving as his shield and his weapon. Still, he barely missed a killing stroke.<p>

"Well, I must say I'm pleasantly surprised you'd go that far," Slade said enjoying the way the teen involuntarily cringed. They jumped across buildings, and Slade had to remind himself to keep an eye open for Robin, who was catching up, his all black uniform contrasting horribly with the red construction beams they were fighting in. He turned his attention back to Danny, who seemed to notice Robin. The teen's blue eyes widened in fear, his stance lowering as he watched Robin make the fifty foot jump onto the building. It was the only opening Slade needed. He grabbed Danny by the neck and hoisted him high in the air, his black hat slipping off falling to the ground along with his sword.

Danny gasped for air, his windpipe being crushed. Vainly he tried to yank away the arm, his blue eyes still watching Robin, who was standing only a few feet away yelling something at Slade who merely chuckled.

"Afraid he'll die," Slade said turning his attention back to Danny, who noticed Robin's raised weapon. The teen felt consciousness leaving him.

"How far will you go to protect him, _Danny Phantom_?" Slade whispered into his ear, shocked blue eyes met coal black. Using the last of his strength, Danny gripped the arm and raspingly whispered back.

"Sorry, don't know him," he said swinging forward and nailing Slade in the stomach making the man drop him. Robin lunged forward, throwing his weapons, leaving Danny on the ground to catch his breath the black mask unraveling. Dizzy and unfocused Danny watched Slade begin to circle Robin.

"Hand over the disks." Robin snapped.

"I thought we had a deal."

"Sorry, I have a strict rule against giving stole technology to psychos," Robin spat, this Danny completely agreed with. Slowly, with his vision fading from black to blurry the teen stood. His mask falling around his neck like a scarf. Thankfully no one noticed, and at the moment, Danny didn't really care.

"How very noble of you, but stealing in order to trap me, that wasn't so noble," Slade said the red billboard casting his frame in colors of blood red.

"Two wrongs don't make a…"

"Don't ever lecture me! Whatever you're planning, Slade, it's over!" Robin yelled.

"On the contraire, Robin, it's only just begun. Right, Danny?" Slade asked looking over to Danny as he used a red beam for support and for the first time, Robin looked over to the fallen hero and gasped at the sight of Danny Fenton, who merely glared. Slade quickly charged, and Robin jumped, flipping high in the air spinning around to counter attack. Both dodging the others attacks until Slade kicked Robin in the chest sending him flying twenty feet back skidding on the cement roof. Turning, Slade set his eyes on Danny and stalked towards him. Coughing, the teen made a dive for his sword. A fist connected with his chest, the back of his skull cracking on the metal beam. Slade needed to prove his theory as he gazed into those defiant eyes.

"Tell me, have you let someone die before?" Slade asked. Danny froze, the memory of Slade in that burning field filled his head. Eyes going wide and breaths coming in gasps that had nothing to do with the fight, Slade now knew.

"Slade!" Robin yelled attacking once more. The man dropped Danny and blocked all of the teen's movements with ease. Growing frustrated, Robin threw a punch that Slade caught, bringing the teen forward slamming his fist into Robin's chest. Pain seared through Robin's ribs, he felt his feet moving backwards from the momentum, right into the crates and over the roof. He screamed. Slade caught his arm leaving Robin dangling over the edge staring up at him in pure confusion.

"You…saved me?"

"I'm not through," he said throwing Robin back onto the roof. The teen shifted when he felt another presence beside him and together he and Danny attacked. Robin knocking Slade back, Danny severing the metal container that housed the chips with his sword, kicking them next to the man when Robin ripped off the mask to reveal only a robot. The two teens didn't notice the other Titans as they leapt onto the building.

"Patience, Robin, we'll meet face to face some other time," Slade said on the monitor leaning forward the clocks turning in the background, "Oh, and speaking of time." The countdown started on five, destroying the robot and the three disks in the explosion.

"At least he didn't get the chips," Beastboy said watching their leader who turned to glare at Danny.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded the Titans moving forward, eyes widening as they stared at Danny in shock.

The teen felt his anger rise at Robin's question, but he squashed it back down, meeting him with the same glare.

"Saving you apparently," his tone sarcastic.

"You almost got yourself killed!" Robin snapped to which Danny let out a short laugh.

"Says the one who was thrown off a building. I was here to make sure Slade didn't get the chips. After all, DALV is my foster father's corporation," Danny said pushing past the shocked teens to retrieve his hat, sliding the sword back in its sheath, the light catching the beautifully carved green dragon on its hilt, the coloring strangely unaffected by the giant glow of the red billboard. Raven quickly turned her gaze back to their leader, who only scowled.

"But the chips are destroyed, that can't be good for Vlad," Robin countered. Danny tied his mask back on, showing only two cold blue eyes.

"Who said I was doing it for Vlad?"

With this he leapt off the building and disappeared.

* * *

><p>Robin had locked himself in that pitch black room, the only light coming from one bulb hanging over the desk. The boy wonder leaned up against the wall, staring into Slade's mask. Starfire entered, she'd long given up on knocking, and slowly she approached her friend.<p>

"You want to yell at me too, everyone else has, and I can't blame them," Robin said, Star placed a hand on his shoulder, her forest green eyes sincere.

"I do not wish to yell, merely to understand. Robin, why did you not tell us the truth?" She asked.

"I needed to fool Slade, if you guys knew it was me under that mask, you would have held back. Doesn't matter anyway, Slade figured it out and I still haven't figured out anything about him." Robin said his eyes hardening, knuckles going white under the green gloves from how strong he was grasping that awful mask.

"That is not true. Whoever Slade is, you and he are similar. Slade did not trust you, and you did not trust us."

Robin felt like he'd been thrown into ice cold water at Star's words, he only took one more moment before he placed the mask on the hook in the wall before turning back to his friend.

"You need anything else, Star?" Robin asked.

"Yes, Raven requires your assistance. She believes she might have found something on Danny," both teens headed out the door and into the main living room, where Cy and Beastboy sat on the red couch. Raven standing in the middle of the room holding what looked like an ancient scroll. The tension in the room was heavy as Robin and Star took their seats.

"You think you found something," Robin stated, the violet haired girl nodded.

"I do, but first I need to know, what have you found out about Phantom," the, _if-you-were-even-looking,_ was implied.

"All I know is that wherever Danny goes, so does Phantom along with his countless enemies," Robin said.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"Something is bothering me about the sword used by Danny," Raven said leaning down to carefully unroll the aged parchment across the table.

"We're here all because of a sword?" Beastboy said groaning into his hands, everyone merely ignored him.

"What does a sword have to do with Phantom and Danny?" Cyborg asked leaning forward intently to see the characters written down the page. Raven looked up at the team, her violet eyes serious.

"Everything. Because according to this story, the sword originally belonged to Phantom," she said and everyone listened to the legend of the Great War between the White Dragon and the Red Demon.

* * *

><p>AN: Read &amp; Review<p>

~Rin


	13. Chapter 11: The Dragon and the Demon

_The mist is rolling in..._

"_Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts."  
><em>_Salman Rushdie_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 11: The Dragon and the Demon

**I**

It was a war that started between the gods and the demons. When one creature, with blood red eyes and powers that could burn civilizations to the ground, wished to find his destiny. He broke into the Heavenly realm and stole the Ancient Scroll, and with it, the battles ensued. Their fights trampled across the Heavens. One brave Dragon fighting to protect his people: his strength, speed, power, and heart rivaled even the Demons. So in one final attack, the Demon dragged their battles to the Mortal World in a great green storm. The Dragon, dazed and confused fell fast, his powers to great to control, fled. As he and his two warrior companions struck the unforgiving land. And so the war in the our world began, the Demon beginning to conquer all of Japan.

**II**

As the storm passed, the people in the hidden village of Shiro approached the fallen gods. The once great Dragon transforming into an unearthly mortal before their very eyes. His form the color of snow, the great scales fitted tightly to his skin, the god's eyes the color of the Earth's soul in spring. Yet every living thing knew he belonged to Death.

His second in command was the Goddess of Chaos. She was a silk Black Panther, her eyes the color of stone purple gems in firelight, her form always moved with a grace no geisha could match. The Black goddess was strong, agile, and unyielding, even to her mate the Dragon. Who irrevocably loved her, and she held the same. Both fought with a passion in all they did.

The last warrior was the Dragon's closest aid and friend, the knowledgeable Bear. But he did not hold the colorings of black and white. No, he saw the world in the array of colors equal to his great brown fur. The Dragon and the Bear were as close as brothers, and while the death god fought, the Bear would always plan, finding a way to support. His mind thinking five steps ahead, his stamina able to withstand the harsh winters and long months of emptiness, made him invaluable to the Dragon, who won so many battles with him by his side.

These were the gods turned human. The ones who would fight to save us all.

* * *

><p>Raven paused in her reading, her delicate fingers turning the next page in the scroll. The Titans all silently waiting for her to go on. Each one enthralled in the story. She read, her normally monotone voice moving through the story in lilt and pitch, making the tale come alive.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>III<strong>

The people of Shiro were first afraid. For gods had been known to be as unforgiving as the demons that trampled across the land. But these three were not, and the Dragon was humble, bowing to the peasants asking to serve them. In a show of gratitude, the people of the hidden village invited the gods to a great feast. It was a day none would forget. Dressed in the finest robes Shiro could offer, the gods were happy, they danced and sang with everyone from the children to the elderly, never thinking of their status. The Bear giving his knowledge too all, while the Panther danced, her flowing robes contouring perfectly, the other women joining in creating a song just for her. The Dragon watched on, smiling at his comrades, the whole time joining in the feast with his witty mind and silver tongue, and when the festivities were nearing the height of the night, a runner from the castle city Naka burst through the gates in panic.

"Our city has fallen! A great Demon has laid us to siege. We beg the help of your finest warriors."

The gods instantly straightened, getting up and following the man, who at first scoffed that these three young warriors were in fact gods and not children in training. But at the glare from the Dragon, he was silenced. Requesting to go, the headman agreed but ordered his ten finest warriors to accompany them. With this they left, still clad in robes of happiness. The journey lasted half the night, dawn peeking through the sky when they arrived at the city. Its roads were broken, the buildings burning in purple fire.

The town was dead, bodies thrown out in the street. The Dragon managed to find survivors. His comrades helping while the runner from the city wept at his lost wife and child. It took two days for the Shiro warriors to bury the dead and offer them pray rights. Two nights that the Dragon stood high up on a hill, his roar reaching the heavens, power trying to spill out from his mortal body.

It was then the warriors knew they had to help the god. So once home and settled around the indoor fire of the main hut, the council and the gods listened to the destruction of Naka from the survivors. Who when the Demon first arrived in the village, they believed him to be a god, so in honor, they forged a samurai sword, one that yielded his powers with ease. It was then he turned on them. The Dragon sat in silence at this, his mind turning; it was many moments before he spoke and told them why he was here.

**IV**

It was called Heaven's map. Its power infinite, allowing the reader to traverse through this world and the next by doorways and storms. The map could cross all eras and show you your destiny. It could take you anywhere you wished to go by speaking aloud, and it had been guarded for millennia, before the Demon learned of its whereabouts and stole it.

The Dragon had tried to reason with the Demon, but the creature was only interested in power, and now until the Bear could locate the Demon, the three gods were stuck and would never be able to return home to the sky. Upon listening to the Dragon's story, the headman felt sympathy for the god and asked the craftsman from Naka to redeem his mistake and design a sword to rival the Demon's. The man agreed and while he turned to his fires, the Shiro warriors rallied together and taught the god the ways of man and sword. The Dragon was a quick learner, his long years of fighting with green fire and claws made it natural for him to hold such a refined weapon.

Soon on the fortnight of the massacre at Naka, the Bear located the Demon, and the Dragon was presented his weapon. The craftsman had named it Dragon's Gale, its stone white hilt filled with gold, a jade dragon wrapping around in design. It made no sound. The metal blade so sharp and thin it appeared almost unbalanced, but when held by the Dragon, the sword's core held the aura and strength of green fire the god so used. And when he swung the blade, it cut through the air so quick and deadly he looked like a true shinigami. With a final thanks to the people of Shiro and an apology to the survivors of Naka, the three gods set out to the temple guarding the palace.

**V**

The majestic temple was in ruins when the gods arrived. Once great red columns smoking, the beautifully carved golden roof melting off in certain spots. The heat from the Demon's flames were stifling, the warrior monks struggling to hold their ground in their own home. The Demon threw the last monk aside, a smirk on his face.

"I've defeated all of your warriors, now take me to your palace where my rule shall begin immediately."

The demon spoke, ignoring the looks of pure hatred the mortals were giving him, but they knew they had to comply.

"There is still one more you must vanquish."

The Dragon said, standing on the high archway clad in black. Sword glistening in the light, the monks were shocked. The Demon dragged his sword through the earth tearing it apart in purple flames destroying the arch, the Dragon jumped, and the fight began. As they fought in the sky, the Panther and Bear regrouped the monks, who waited for the gods to land, and when they struck down in the rubble, everyone surrounded the Demon who snarled angrily.

"You have dishonored our priceless treasures, we shall never obey you!"

A monk yelled, and for the first time the Dragon noted the destroyed pottery and jewels that were centuries old. He smirked, his silver tongue causing the Demon to yell out in frustration.

"Try as you might, Dragon, you will not stop me from achieving my destiny!"

The Demon snarled and using the Heavenly map, he tore through the sky and into the other living realm where the gods could regain their powers. The Dragon summoned his two warriors and together they followed through the time. Battles continued, until the day when in his greed, the map sent the Demon to a frozen barren wasteland. That was his destiny, and the Dragon claimed the scroll, returning it to its rightful place amongst the Heavens.

* * *

><p>Raven rolled up the ancient scroll and set it on the table before she looked up to see her friends trying to process the story. Their faces mixtures of awe and confusion.<p>

"The sword Danny used, it was the same one from legend. It's the Dragon's Gale, thought to be nothing more than a myth," she said, her voice now back to its monotone sound.

"How do we know it's not a fake?" Cyborg asked, although you could see he was trying to find another explanation. Raven shook her head.

"No. I'm sure, the sword held the white aura and was too narrow and unbalanced to be a regular sword. That belonged to the Dragon," she said firmly.

"O.k. so Danny has the Dragon's sword, how does this tie into Phantom?" Beastboy asked his face one of pure confusion.

"Because the Dragon _is_ Phantom in the story," Robin said speaking up for the first time. The connections beginning to form in his mind.

"The map was the one he used to take us home from Frostbites, the Demon was the ghost at the theater, the one who called himself Plasmius, and for whatever reason, Phantom saw it fit to give his sword to Danny, the question is why?" Robin said frustrated as the connections fell apart, nothing made sense. Cy rubbed his temples angrily.

"O.k. made we're going about this wrong, how about instead of trying to put the facts together, we need to look at theories."

"Phantom could be an ancient spirit, and the war is still going on," Raven suggested.

"Perhaps Phantom is from our time and the ghost Plasmius stole the map here and used it to go backwards," Star said the Titans all agreed that was most probable.

"That still leaves out how Phantom is attached to Danny," Robin said. Leaning forward, his hands resting under his chin in contemplation, hesitantly Beastboy spoke up.

"Well, what if Phantom and Danny are related or have some other kind of connection."

Everyone froze understanding dawning on their faces.

"We need to see Danny," Robin said, no one argued as they headed for the door.

* * *

><p>Danny paced around the lab trying desperately to control his anger, all the information on the chip being displayed on the screen. Silently, Fixit watched him, waiting for the teen to calm down. Although the robot was pretty pissed himself, he didn't want to add fuel to Danny's already massive fire. Especially since he was still wearing his black ninja suit, his deadly sword swinging at his hip.<p>

"What do you plan to do?" Fixit finally asked when Danny stopped mid step and merely glared.

"Well, first I plan on sucking that fruitloop in the Fenton Thermos, give it a good shake until Vlad doesn't know what's up or down, then I plan on leaving him with Klemper chained at the waist in Antarctica and ask Clockwork to tell me whenever a portal there opens so I can randomly visit him and beat the deadly daylights out of him! What is Vlad thinking? Is he trying to get us killed?" Danny shrieked, and Fixit flinched not so much in fear, but at how creative Danny was. But looking at the raven haired teen Fixit knew something else was wrong.

"What else?" Fixit asked, although he had a pretty good idea what. Danny suddenly seemed to tremble, blue eyes wide with fear before he masked it with sarcasm.

"Oh nothing, I just thought one fruitloop was bad, now I have to worry about a psycho one who's not only interested in me, but I think he has it in for Robin, which just like Vlad, is a giant 'ew'," Danny said before he sank onto the floor, head falling on his drawn up knees. Fixit was about to move to his friend when the door bell rang twice. Groaning, Danny rose from the floor and composed himself before he and Fixit left the lab and headed up the stairs.

"Danny."

"Yeah?"

"You might want to stay behind the counter, you're still carrying your sword."

Danny turned scarlet before mumbling something along the lines of _'I never get any sleep'_ being the reason why he still looked like a Japanese warrior. Fixit merely chuckled and headed down the aisle where the Titans all stood outside, their faces serious, Robin's if not deadly. Opening the door, Fixit blocked their passage.

"Can I help you, friends?" Fixit asked the Titans, all a little surprised at how serious the robot looked, which was saying a lot with his already stoic face.

"We need to talk to Danny," Cy said his eyes earnest. Fixit's ocean blue eyes narrowed trying to discern if they were here to harm him. Fixit was sure they weren't, but at the moment he didn't want to take any chances. The robot jumped when he felt a hand on his arm, and looking down, he noticed Danny standing beside him, his eyes serious.

"It's fine, Fixit," Danny said, nodding, the robot moved out of the way allowing Danny to leave the store. The Titans trailing after him down the back alley of the building. The sky was overcast in clouds of gray, the sun beginning to set. Vaguely, Danny realized that it was Friday night, and the two nights of chasing the Titans all around the city was beginning to take its toll on him. Stopping at the dead end, he turned to face them.

"What do you want?" Danny asked trying to keep the exasperation out of his tone.

"We want to know your relation to Phantom," Robin said, Danny felt his nerves prickle.

"Screw you, I don't have to tell you anything," Danny snapped. Robin was about to yell back when Raven cut him off, sensing the rising tensions.

"Very well, can you at least tell us who gave you the Dragon's Gale?" She asked pointing to his sword. Danny shifted nervously, one hand coming to rest on the hilt.

"It's always been mine," Danny said.

"So you are related to Phantom," Robin stated his eyes narrowed. Danny's eyes hardened, his mouth thinning, he glared and refused to answer.

The boy wonder let out a yell of frustration. Before marching forward, getting up in the teen's face.

"Fine, if you won't answer anything about Phantom, then tell me why you saved us."

"I have my reasons," Danny growled out, glaring down at Robin, both of them seething in rage.

"Yeah, and I can tell your reasons are crap, you didn't follow me around all night just to destroy those chips. You went straight for Slade the second I was in danger, you were protecting me and my team. Even when you were fighting against Red X, weren't you?" Robin yelled.

Danny and the rest of the Titans were shocked at the outburst. Robin, who hadn't really known what he was yelling stood rooted to the spot catching his breath and realized that what he had said was true. A wall came up between Danny's eyes and his thoughts, his emotions skating on a razor's edge. He pushed past the teen, preparing to leave when what Robin said next made his blood run cold.

"I'm right aren't I, you're more than just some average street fighter, you're a hero."

Danny snarled and faced Robin, his eyes beyond angry.

_"I am not a hero."_

"Then why did you not kill Slade the first chance you got? Why did you look at me even as your windpipe was being crushed? Why are you always willing to help us? And why won't you tell us the truth?" Robin yelled, the other Titans surrounding Danny looking at him with the same expressions. Danny suddenly felt nervous, his mask beginning to crack. He didn't want this, they were looking at him the way Sam and Tucker once did when they were trying to get something past his clueless skull.

"I am not a hero," Danny repeated, only it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than them.

"If so, then why did you help me when my sister betrayed me?" Starfire asked, for a long moment Danny only stared at Robin before he looked to the Tamaranean girl, and he felt like he'd been punched in the chest.

Because it was her forest green eyes, which were filled with confusion and such honesty...that for a second, Danny thought he was staring at his sister. And every defense the teen had built against the world broke down with every memory. Every scar and every power that hummed beneath his skin reminding him of what he was.

"Dude, are you o.k.?" Beastboy asked coming closer his hand reaching out. Danny shied away from it, his hair hiding crystalline blue eyes.

"Please, why can't you just leave me alone?" Danny whispered brokenly, causing everyone to draw closer in concern. The anger all but gone from the group. And half hidden in the shadows, his eyes closed, Starfire saw something that shocked her.

"Danny, are you…"

A metal clang was heard at the entrance of the alleyway all the teens turning to the sound.

"Who's there?" Robin asked walking forward taking a defensive position. The sound was heard again and the teens looked in horror at the grenade rolling down the pavement.

"Raven!" Robin shouted, but it was too late. It exploded releasing the gas that dragged Danny and the Teen Titans down into an unnatural slumber. Before unconsciousness fully claimed him the raven haired teen saw a shadow move, a flash, and a man approaching them, a red walking stick in his left hand. He could do nothing, and blackness took him.

AN: Read & Review

~Rin


	14. Chapter 12: Mad School

_My vision is starting to blur..._

"_I'm only human, I've got a skeleton in me, but I'm not the villain despite what you're always preaching." ~Hayley Williams_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 12: Mad School

Danny felt through the haze in his mind, which kept trying to drag him back into unconsciousness. He groaned when the blinding florescent lights came on showing the Teen Titans all chained to tall, thick posted chairs bolted to the floor. Everyone awoke, each trying to resist their bonds: Robin's hands were cuffed to the chair's arms, Starfire's hands bound by glowing red energy, Cyborg secured around the chest with a heavy metal lock, Raven's chest swirled around in white energy, and Beastboy's chest was crossed with two red X's making it impossible for him to transform. And looking down Danny noticed he wasn't fairing any better, his legs weren't bound, but both his hands were; he jerked fighting the bonds. Beastboy was the last one to wake up, noticing their predicament. He looked at Danny then over to the other Titans.

"Am I the only one who has no idea where we are?" He asked.

"Why you're right where you belong, my ducky," a man said in a British accent. Everyone looked up to see a man at the grand entrance, two marble staircases leading up to him.

"You're in school!" The man said jumping on the railing and sliding down to land a few feet away from them on the checkerboard floor. Danny nearly laughed at the man's appearance. For he had flaming red hair in a bob cut, blue half glasses that matched perfectly with his shirt that was the British flag and white bell bottom pants. All in all, he looked like a rejected Beetle singer, complete with a red jeweled cane that he loved to twirl like a king. The man leaned in, gazing at the teens intently, a smirk on his face.

"That's right lad and ladies. You're the only students in Mad Mod's Institute for bratty teenage do gooders," his voice booming the accent really ticking off all the teens, Mad Mod threw his cane and caught it in his other hand before throwing himself forward like he was the hero.

"And it's high time someone taught you sporgs a _lesson_," he said his cane crackling in white electricity. The Titans began to struggle again.

"My star-bolts are useless!" Star cried as Mad Mod got right in her face, his breath smelling like bad tea.

"Specially designed chairs, _love_. Can't have those nasty superpowers disrupting my lecture, now can I?"_Oh gosh, he sounded worse than Mr. Lancer_, Danny thought his eyes beginning to glow. Starfire shifted in nervousness trying to turn away from the man.

"Get away from her!" Robin snapped. Mad Mod turned faster than Danny thought possible, and he watched as the jeweled cane released electricity into Robin's chair, making the teen slam his mouth shut to stop himself from screaming. Mad Mod leaned forward into the leader's face.

"Now don't get your knickers in a bunch, my little snot," the red head reject beetle said, stepping back letting Robin catch his breath, Mad Mod observed the teens.

"It was a stroke of luck that I didn't have to fill your Tower with _knock _out gas, and I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school just to finish you off lickity split," Mad Mod said.

"Then what do you want?" Raven snapped.

"Just what I said, _deary_…"Mad Mod got way to close for comfort in Danny's and the Titans' opinion, "to teach you _lot _a lesson. Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave, and I _hate _misbehavin' children," the man said, Danny scoffed, like he hadn't just seen that idiot scratch his butt!

But to prove his point Mad Mod pointed to three pictures which flipped over to reveal the Teen Titans in different actions.

"Fighting crime," the picture showed the Titans going up against the Thunder Brothers.

"Saving lives," Robin and Starfire saving some animals from a fire.

"Um, when did you guys do that?" Danny asked motioning to the cute picture. Robin blushed and Starfire was about to reply when Mad Mod hit Danny over the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"No interrupting! And interfering with the plans of hard working villains," a picture of Beastboy as a basset hound pulling down some bad guys pants. Danny actually did laugh and got hit in the head yet again.

"Hey!" He snapped, Mad Mod growled.

"Why you _lot _are _nothin' _but a bunch of trouble makers!"

Fury exploded around Danny and the Titans, all of them really wanting to pumble the man in his red haired face.

"And you'll learn your place soon enough. You see, I'm older than you, so I'm _bigger_, _bader_, and _beutter_."

"Say What? _Ow!"_ Cyborg yelled as Mad Mod hit him with his cane.

"You're in _my _world now, and you won't be _gettin' _out until you've learned some _proper _respect!"

"Hey Moddy, why the heck did you kidnap me?" Danny asked although he was pretty furious at the guy for a number of other reasons, one forcing him 'back in school'. Mad Mod turned red in the face and strode up to Danny, his jeweled cane looking more like a weapon than anything else.

"Why? Because, lad, you're _turnin' _into one of 'hem. I saw you earlier, seems to me like you're already a do gooder, and I can't be havin' you join their _lot_," he said gesturing to the Teen Titans who looked very murderous at the moment. "That's why you're here, ladie, and besides ya look like a hero."

Danny bristled at those words, and he could feel his powers humming beneath his chest.

"We will get out, and when we do, we'll…" Robin said while Mad Mod raised his cane, the first bell rung.

"Oh dear, there's the bell, my ducky's, off to _clauss_," he said and with this, the tiles under their chairs opened and everyone screamed as they fell through the floor.

Danny landed with a hard thump on the checkered floor below. A white chalkboard at the front of the class, Mad Mod's face appearing in black on it.

"What the hell?" Danny said struggling, not wanting to blast himself out of the chair and give away his powers.

"Now, now, watch your mouth, don't you know it's rude to talk to your elders that way," the chalkboard face said, Danny let out a huff.

"Fine, what the hell, tea case?" Danny thought about saying 'nut case' but revised it at the last minute watching as Mad Mod growled at his lame insult.

"You need to learn some manners, one of my hypno-screens _ought _to fix that," Mad Mod said and the teen quickly looked away when the board began to swirl.

"No way am I looking at that," Danny growled shaking off the wires from the top of the chair that were trying to hold his head in place. Thinking fast, he swung his legs forward raising himself off the chair enough to get his feet underneath him, onto the seat and standing up, Danny placed one foot on a wooden arm, his other foot still on the seat and pulled, the wood snapped, freeing one of his arms. Ignoring the strain in his shoulders from the harsh pull, he snapped the wood encasing his other arm and jumped out of the chair.

"Naughty, _naughty, _if you're going to destroy school property, school property is going to destroy you."

Danny ran when the rocket tore through the screen. Racing down a black and white illusion hallway, he met up with Robin who seemed to be having similar problems, the two rockets hot on their tails. As the teens drew closer, neither had to think, only react, they never stopped running only pressed their palms together once they met, they jumped using the others weight to propel themselves backwards high into the air and over the rockets that exploded upon impact. Robin and Danny slammed into opposite sides of the walls. Both stood, brushing the dust off their suits, the boy wonder sighed.

"There goes my shot at perfect attendance."

"At least that's better than having _'proper manners'_," Danny said in a British voice. Robin tried not to laugh at the look of pure horror on the other teen's face.

"Now, don't be so sure, my little _duckies_. You may be out of the classroom, but class is never dismissed," Mad Mod said standing in front of a swirling illusion, both teens charged at him but the crazy brit ran up the wall.

"Next lesson, physics!" Both stopped in their tracks.

"Huh?" They said in unison.

"What goes up, stays up!" Mad Mod yelled laughing, running down the corridor.

"Until we take it down!' Robin snapped and both teens chased after the man. Danny never noticing the 'we'.

They ran up flights of steps that seemed unending. Certain times gravity seeming to flip flop, sending Danny and Robin falling to the new floor. Mad Mod simply hopping over them and racing on. The boy wonder was so mad, he never thought to use his weapons, and the halfa so annoyed, he never thought to use his powers. Both of them just really wanted to punch that crazy Brit in the face.

Mad Mod ran down a square illusion that both teens hit like a wall, both stumbled back in confusion.

"How did he…" Robin sputtered.

"Come on!" Danny said pointing down the other square hallway, a glimpse of red disappearing into a hidden black door. Both dashed through it, back into the grand hallway with floors of doors and stairs. The grand entrance right up top. Mad Mod standing by another door.

"You may as well chuck in the sponge, laddies, you can't catch the likes of me!"

Robin and Danny jumped on the railings of the stairs in perfect synchronization. They landed on the steps which turned into a backwards escalator, keeping them in the same place even as they continued to run.

"Now what did I tell you? Children today won't listen to their, _betturs_, haft ta learn everything on their…"

Danny smirked when Robin's boomerang shaved off some of Mad Mod's bright red sideburns.

"Hey! Oae, no throwing things while _teacher _is talking!" The Brit yelled disappearing into the double doors. Robin fired his grappling hook the same time he grabbed Danny's arm and yanked them forward into yet another room, the same one they had been in.

"What?" Robin exclaimed.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Danny yelled his eyes momentarily flashing bright green.

"No!" Star suddenly screamed, both teens instantly on high alert trying to locate her. They ran towards a door that led to the library and raced up ladders to reveal a maze of stacks, the glimmer of a hypno-screen being used.

Starfire struggled in her chair, the red energy swirling around her arms, her forest green eyes shut tight.

"I will not read your book of meanness and swirls," she yelled the chair extending two arms latching onto her head, forcing her to gaze at the book.

"Now, now, luv, it's for your own good. Nothin' teaches disrepending respect like a brain erasing trance," Mad Mod said somewhere, his accent making it hard to understand what he was saying. Star shook off the trance, but the chair forced open her eyes, the ceiling opened up revealing a large stamp the word 'overdue' written in red, it came crashing down destroying the front row of chairs the word stamped into the floor.

"Besides if you don't stop _squirming, _I won't stop _squashin'_!" He yelled the machine moving onto the next row and destroying it. Starfire struggled more trying to get away. It destroyed the next row and looking up, her green eyes widened at the giant overhanging stamp, it came down as she screamed. Robin dove, pushing her out of the way and slamming them both into the far book stacks. Danny leapt down to join them, destroying the hypno-screen with his sword.

Robin began picking the locks as Danny joined them, his sword raised.

"Are all the schools on your planet this horrible?" She asked the locks snapping open, her star-bolts coming to life in her fists.

"Depends on your definition of horrible," Danny said as the Titans stood. Books began to fly off their shelves and explode, aiming for the three teens.

"Come on!" Robin shouted, he grabbed Star's hand and pulled her towards the shelves. She took to the air while the Danny and Robin began to climb. The halfa having to remind himself that he couldn't use his powers at the moment. They reached the top, jumping on the stacks heading for the only door marked exit in the library, battling the books that soared at them like kamikaze pilots. Star blasted them away, twisting in the air with ease while Robin destroyed them with his weapons, and Danny with his sword, all working together like a well oiled machine. The teens made it to the exit and slammed the door closed right when fifteen books dive bombed. Danny let out a sigh of relief as Robin marched ahead. Starfire floating beside Danny, appreciation in her eyes.

"Robin, I wish to thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't thank me yet, Mad Mod still has us right where he wants us. I know we could take him if we could just get our hands on him, but every time we get out of one trap…" a hoard of Mad Mod's statue podiums on wheels surrounded them, weapons protruding from their eyes, mouths and ears, " there's another one waiting," he finished really ticked off. Robin took a defensive position.

"Uh, I think we should run," Danny suggested as the machines fired various weapons. The teens high tailed it out of there, Mad Mod's voice coming over the intercom with bodacious laughter.

"Run, my duckies! Run all you like, but you'll never get out!" They neared an optical illusion that spiraled into a swirl, gravity seemed to shift and the teens screamed as they fell down the hole where a trap door opened landing them into a chemistry room. It was filled with giant chemicals and test tubes, the ceiling tiles showing the periodic table and on the white board was a hypno-screen. Beastboy in his chair, a white dunce hat on his head.

"It's no good _procrastinating _really," Mad Mod said on the intercom. The teens ran forward to their friend. "Because sooner or later you'll all end up like him."

"Beastboy!" Robin yelled looking at his friend who had drool running down his mouth.

"Ah yes, a model _student _that one. Luvly, sits there quietly, never thinks about misbehavin', matter of fact, he never thinks at all! Ha!" Mad Mod yelled, Danny sliced through the red bindings with his sword.

"Beastboy, awaken your friends are here. Beastboy?" Starfire asked before she looked at the screen and charged her star-bolts, aiming to fire at the device. Robin dashed forward.

"Wait!" He said grabbing her wrists, "trust me." All of the chemicals seemed to bubble over and spill onto the floor. One sick green liquid moving towards them dissolving everything it touched. Robin picked up Beastboy and handed him to Starfire.

"Here's your hall pass, we'll meet you outside," he said and with this Star took off for the door. Robin looked over to Danny who nodded.

"After you," the halfa said and Robin took off jumping on the bubbling chairs and other objects around the room. Danny right behind him, only instead of landing on them he seemed to hover, his feet only lightly tapping them because he was pretty sure if he used all of his weight the wood would splinter and Danny really didn't want to add acidic burns to his long list of injuries he's sustained. Once they got to the door the three teens smiled and slammed it shut. The halfa never noticed Starfire's eyes lingering on him for a moment longer.

The four teens found themselves back in the main room, the two staircases leading up to floors upon floors of doors not that it mattered. For they stood at the foot of the stairs trying to get Beastboy to wake up and stop garbling nonsense words.

"Beastboy, it is I, Starfire your friend. _Please_speak to me, Beastboy? Beastboy? BEASTBOY?!" She yelled making Robin and Danny cover their ears. The halfa thinking she was louder than his wail.

Robin shook his head trying to get rid of the ringing in his ears.

"Ah, Star, I don't think that's working."

"But we must do something or he will remain this way forever!" She said her voice slightly panicked. All of them jumped when they heard the opening of a door.

"Mad Mod, come on," Robin said crouching down behind one staircase. Starfire and Danny joined him, the Tamaranean holding the unconscious Beastboy in her arms.

"We'll hide here and then take him by surprise," Robin said both teens nodded and waited the only sounds coming from BB. The boy wonder felt his eye twitch in annoyance.

"Any way to keep him quiet?" Robin asked, Starfire slapped her hand over the changeling's mouth and 'eeped' as drool coated her hand, Danny was seriously grossed out. Robin saw a shadow and all three teens lunged forward to attack.

The effect was instantaneous. Robin was suspended by black magic above Cyborg's head, who had his sonic cannon pointed at Starfire's chest, her own fists glowing green inches away from his chest, Danny's sword hovering away from Raven's throat, who had coated it in black energy everyone relaxed dropping their stances.

"Cyborg, Raven, how glad we are to see you," Starfire said.

"This place is making me crazy!" Robin said standing by Cyborg who nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it, Mad Mod's wacked out computer lab nearly crashed my hard drive," he said. Starfire looked over to Raven who had a scowl on her normally stoic face.

"Where did our captor send you?" She asked looking to the other girl who opened her dark blue cloak to reveal bright numbered clothes.

"Gym," she said engulfing them in black and tore them away to reveal her black suit and red and gold belt underneath.

"At least he didn't send you to a beauty pageant," Danny commented. Raven's purple eyes widening in horror at the thought.

"Anyone seen BB?" Cy asked with this they all looked down when they heard the gurgling sounds of Beastboy as he slid across the tile floor.

"Mad Mod's hypno-screens, we can't snap him out of it, we've tried everything." Robin said.

"Did you try this?" Cyborg asked bending down and burping in BB's ear. The teen instantly started to laugh, Cy smiled and stood looking pleased with himself.

"Nice one! Uh, how did I get here and why am I covered in drool?" Beastboy asked standing and wiping off his mouth.

"Wonderful, now we need only to locate an exit," Starfire said.

"Or we just keep blasting until we make one," Cyborg replied activating his sonic canon.

"Easy," Robin said holding up his hand motioning for his friend to stop, "last thing I smashed tried to smash me back. I'm sure this whole place is booby trapped."

"Then how are we supposed to get out?" Beastboy asked.

"We're not," Danny said folding his arms and closing his blue eyes before he even thought about transforming into Phantom and just locating Mad Mod himself. But despite himself, he couldn't abandon the Titans and he couldn't risk the crazy Brit seeing him transform.

"Danny's right. Don't you get it, Mad Mod's just going to keep messing with us until…" Raven said Robin finishing her sentence for her.

"We mess with him. That cane of his controls everything in here, we take the cane…" Cy jumped in,

"We take control…"

"And take him down!" Beastboy finished.

"Do you guys always do that?" Danny added in amusement. Beastboy walked forward and tried to look like an evil mastermind.

"Oh, I'll find him. That demented idiot is never hypnotizing me again!" He shouted a picture jutted out from the wall and began to swirl BB managing to spin around just in time to avoid looking at it.

"Dang it! How do I avoid those things!" BB snapped marching back to his friends gesturing behind him to the picture.

"You don't. Look in order to avoid being hypnotized you need to keep your mind focused. You rely on your animal instincts to fight, right? So use them to sharpen your mind, it'll keep the screen from working you over," Danny said his advice shocking all of the Titans especially Beastboy.

"Dude, how did…" he trailed off as Danny shrugged.

"Let's just say I've had a run in with mind control before," he said leaving it at that, his eyes telling them to drop it.

"Come on. Don't you _lot _ever learn?" Mad Mod said emerging from a black tile in the floor, twirling his red cane. Everyone was instantly in their fighting stances.

"You're in my world now, duckies," he said pressing the red jewel making the door behind him swing open.

"You can't win," he said and with this he dashed through the door.

"Titans go!" Robin yelled and all of the teens chased after Mod.

It was ridiculous, and by far the weirdest chase Danny had ever been on. Mad Mod had been on a moped; hit the Titans in the head with bananas. They'd chased him past a fountain, then turned and were chased as Mad Mod came barreling at them with a giant bazooka. Danny had fallen through big black dots while Robin slammed into them, Cy picking them up, all of them trying different dots. Each time getting a different a result that left the teens really annoyed until all of them emerged dressed in eighties clothes that just pissed them off.

It didn't help that Mad Mod just zoomed past them on another moped. They ran up stairs that turned smooth like in a bad cartoon leaving Beastboy, Robin, Cyborg and Danny (who at this point was seriously questioning why he didn't just go ghost and fly) especially when at the bottom of the now smooth stairs was a rock crusher, and Beastboy had to transform into a giant green octopus. Raven and Starfire grabbing onto his tentacles in order to catch Robin and Danny as they slammed into the green blob, Cyborg following and crushing them, he blushed as the two teens glared at him for the ride up.

They chased Mad Mod into a hallway that had doors on each wall and no matter which door they entered something always happened. Leaving the teens flustered and running around until Robin stopped them and told them to each take a door, when all of them had been opened they snuck up to the last one. Everyone screamed five octaves above their natural voices as a T-Rex head emerged from the room and roared at them. Danny made sure to slam that door closed very quickly. Out of the corner of their eyes, the teens spotted Mad Mod pushing open the back wall. They approached it, a statue of the Brit smiling at them. Robin lifted up the head to reveal a red switch turning it, the wall opened showing the outside world.

"No way," Raven said shocked.

"Is that what I think it is?" Beastboy said refusing to believe his eyes.

"One way to find out," Robin said and with this Robin and the Titans walked forward. Danny hesitating slightly before he followed not daring to get his hopes up.

"Looks like the real deal," Cyborg said until Robin stretched out his hand and it tore through the paper making the Teen Titans stumble and fall to the checkerboard floor.

Starfire gasped as Cy yelled 'no' and Robin slammed his fist to the ground.

"Right back where we started," Robin growled as the teens got up and looked around the main room. The staircases leading to hundreds of doors. Danny felt his eyes begin to glow, but he pushed his powers back in. It was hard, for it felt like ages since he could feel the coldness in his chest without hurting him, or the ease with which his powers responded without thinking.

"Of course you are my duckies," Mad Mod said the tile floor turning over to reveal the man. It hovered off the floor tapping his cane twice it rose high in the air so the man could look down at the teens.

"Class is over, and you lot haven't learned a thing. As a failing grade for each bloomin' one of ya. There's only one thing for it," the door they came from slammed shut, "you'll have to repeat the entire lessun!" Mad Mod screamed the four walls disappearing showing one big hypno-screen, with the floating doors and weapons which quickly surrounded them. The Titans and Danny took up fighting stances.

"Time for class, my duckies, everyone back to your seats!" Mad Mod yelled.

"Titans, get that cane!" Robin yelled and they charged. Beastboy destroying the ground statues his lion form roaring in rage, as Raven placed a shield up destroying the mini rockets while Cyborg, Robin and Danny ran through the fire. Robin jumped, Cy catching his feet and pushing him in the air, throwing Danny next before the mechanical teen destroyed several flying statues with his fists. Starfire headed straight for Mod, her eyes a fierce electric green she was almost there.

"Hey, no rough housin'! Do I have to separate you _lot_?" Mad Mod said clicking his red jeweled cane. All of the tiles began to elevate at separate times, Star managing to stop in time before slamming into a black tile. Robin wasn't so lucky and Danny barely managed to dodge one, using his powers to let him stop mid air and land on the tile next to him. Robin looked over to Cyborg before the statues attacked, firing red bullets at him, he grabbed onto one, and it sent him high in the air before he managed to flip and reach Mad Mod's floor sparing a glance. The teen noted Danny flipping up onto the tiles steadily making his way towards him. Raven and Beastboy were on the lower levels destroying the statues when they heard a screaming Cyborg and both dodged his falling form.

"Little help," Raven asked as the teen stood, he nodded and activated his canon, they got back to work.

Starfire worked on destroying the aerial statues when she felt one grab her arms, she looked up to see another coming at her with a red saw and growling, the Tamaranean girl kicked it away sending it flying into the giant hypno-screen which ripped like paper revealing something dark and mechanical underneath.

Hundreds of more statue robots were moving on the ground and grabbing one, Cy threw it destroying the perfectly made line. He felt red electricity course through him suddenly, which brought him down and looking up, he saw a statue holding a stun gun the floor dragging him up into a chair.

"No!" Raven screamed battling the arms of another, her black magic being cancelled out, a white ring swirling around her chest. Starfire hit the checkered floor hard having been stunned in the air. Hazily, she fought the hold of the machines binding her into a chair, but it was no use. The three Titans looked up to see Beastboy racing to their aid, his lion form morphing into a cheetah. He hadn't expected a robot to launch a grenade at him. The three Titans screamed his name.

* * *

><p>Robin and Danny were battling the crazy Brit as he moved through the air like it was gravity, smirking the entire time.<p>

"Oh give it a rest naughty! You've already lost!" Mad Mod said pointing to the struggling Titans and a weakly resisting Starfire. Robin jumped forward reaching for the cane and both teens were shocked when he passed through it. Danny spared a moment to gaze at Robin before his eyes turned away, searching for something.

"If the cane isn't real…"

"It means Mad Mod is just as fake!" Robin finished Danny's sentence, blue eyes spotted the tear.

"There!" Danny pointed dropping his sword, Robin dashed forward and jumped, the halfa catching his feet and launching him into the air. He had just enough time to see Robin make it into what looked like a vent before he heard the Titans scream.

_"__B__eastboy__!"_

* * *

><p>Danny turned, his human heart stopping mid beat, he saw the grenade go flying the trigger pin missing. Five, Danny felt his eyes glow the brightest green, four, his power centered around him, three, white rings spilt his body, two, in the transformation green energy instantaneously formed, one, the grenade exploded and Danny transformed, teleporting in the same instant. His mind blank only pure emotions driving him forward.<p>

Beastboy felt the heat of the explosion behind his back, so intense it singed his fur. Numbly, he knew that shrapnel would follow, tearing through him like butter. But nothing came and in his confusion he hit the ground, his four legs giving out and the cheetah rolled across the floor stopping next to his friends. After what felt like ages, Beastboy changed back and looked up at his friends, who weren't looking at him but ahead, and rolling on his side the changeling gasped for Phantom was floating in the air. His eyes a pure green, a giant shield swirling around the entire group. Shakily, Beastboy stood and approached the ghost teen who floated to the ground panting. BB managed to catch him when he saw the teen's legs give out underneath him.

* * *

><p>Danny felt arms wrap around him, and numbly he realized that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to use so much power after just…well technically it was still the third day or maybe the fourth, the halfa wasn't sure how long they'd been knocked out. Tired beyond belief, the halfa managed a smile when, in his blurry vision, he saw Beastboy freaking out, sighing Danny chuckled.<p>

"What was that about cats always landing on their feet?" Danny asked, a blush colored Beastboy's face the moment he fell into unconsciousness. And it was then BB knew why his friends were still speechless because a white ring formed and split in two, traveling up and down changing Phantom into…Danny?!

Mad Mod sat in a chair surrounded by computers and thousands of beeping buttons. Only this man was much older, his flaming red hair was no longer, but the color of dusty white, balding on top with more than a couple of liver spots, his skin was drawn and wrinkly, pearly white teeth rotted yellow and he wore a baggy red sweater vest with long black pants. He growled moving the stick in front of him to control the environment.

"This will teach those little ankle bitters some respect, just a tick, I've _lost _Robin," Mod said pulling down on an overhanging lever. The screens began to go black as the leader ripped the wires out, and the senior citizen yelled out in surprise, his machine going up in smoke. Hastily, Mad Mod stood desperate to get away, only to turn and have Robin yank him forward a scowl on his face.

"Ah, ugh, hullo gov'nuer," Mod said his British accent thick with nervousness.

"Schools out, Mod, and you're looking at about twenty years of detention," Robin said Mad Mod flinched at his fate.

* * *

><p>Beastboy had freed his friends when everything began to collapse. The hologram disappearing as the screens broke and rolled up showing a massive space filled with labyrinths and screens designed for smoke and mirrors. The weapons no longer moving, nothing more than disfigured statues. The Titans turned when they heard their leader coming with Mad Mod tied up.<p>

"Well, he did say he was older," Beastboy said, Cyborg picking up Danny, Robin raised a questioning eyebrow, but Cy shook his head.

"Let's go home," Robin said and with this they headed up a narrow ladder that opened their prison. Cyborg climbed out emerging onto the abandoned oil station outside the port of Jump City, the sky was shinning blue.

Titan's Tower was completely quiet while Robin tried to process what he had just learned, Danny Fenton was Phantom?

"How is that even possible?" He asked.

"It's not," Cyborg said serious.

"And yet it is. Danny is dead yet alive," Raven said her purple eyes blank, yet her mind was swimming in confusion.

"The question is how?" Starfire asked as the Titans all sat on the couch.

"How about 'it's none of your concern'," Danny said making the Titans jump to their feet and look at Danny who was standing by the door a look of pure rage on his face.

"I beg to differ. You've helped us so many times before, why didn't you just trust us?" Robin snapped moving forward while Danny took a step back, his eyes glowing a fierce green making the Titans involuntarily shudder.

"Why should I? I told you I'm not a hero, but no matter what I do, you never leave me alone and now you know, so I hope you understand. I will _never_ be a hero _again_!"

"What do you mean again?" Cyborg asked his voice harsh though he felt less than that. Why was Danny acting this way? A flicker of fear slipped across Danny's face at his slip up, but it disappeared before the Titans could think over it.

"It doesn't matter, now that you know I can tell you this, if you don't stay away from me, the next time I see you, you'll be choking on your own blood," Danny said and with this he turned, and white rings engulfed him, taking flight the halfa paused and from his pocket he drew up a small yellow device and threw it to their leader who caught it out of reflex before Danny turned intangible and sped off into the night.

Staring in disbelief, Robin looked down at the device…the Titan's communicator.

* * *

><p>Danny felt the wind burn his eyes as he flew through the air to the location. His mind reeling at what he had said and the looks of pure betrayal on the Teen Titans' faces. Not that it mattered. It was for their own safety. The memory pulled at his mind still fresh and raw.<p>

_The halfa woke to the feel of a hospital bed under him, the thin white sheets soft and scratchy at the same time__. S__haking out of his daze Danny sat up instantly knowing he was in the Tower's infirmary. For a second, fear took hold of his hear__t. H__e hadn't known he'd pass out from using his powers and now the Titans knew. Taking a few deep breaths to relax, Danny knew he should start berating himself for letting them find out, but strangely the only feeling the halfa could muster was relief. The feeling settled in his heart and blossomed out, making Danny's chest ace in happiness__._

_I__t'd been so long since he had people to share his secret with. Fixit didn't count in Danny's mind for the robot reminded the halfa of Clockwork, and while he loved both the __G__host of __T__ime and the robot very much, the feeling felt more like they were his guardians. But the Titans, they were so much like Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were: pure, trustworthy, fun, and above all else, stubborn. _

_The Teen Titans never stopped trying, they kept Danny grounded when he didn't even realize he'd been sinking. The Titans were his friends. And how they'd wormed their way into his heart, the halfa would never know__. B__ut they had and the emotions were so powerful Danny put his knees to his chest and hugged them close to keep himself from drowning in the tidal waves._

"_Well__, __isn't this a pleasant surprise, Daniel," Danny jumped coiling his muscles__. H__e looked around the room but found nothing until his eyes met the computer screen._

"_Slade," Danny growled his eyes glowing green, "what do you want?"_

"_Many things. One of them you can help me with," Slade said leaning forward into the camera, the halfa growled._

"_Why would I ever help you?!" Danny spat._

"_Because if you don't the Teen Titans will die."_

_Danny's blood ran cold__. __Slade laughed the screen moving to show the chemical composition of something, the teen moved forward to observe the chemical his mind a whirl wind of panic._

"_I'm sure you've figured out what this builds, nanoscopic probes, attached to the red blood cells. You see, with the touch of a button my probes will destroy your friends from the __**inside out**__," Slade said the screen changing to show the five outlines of the Titians__. E__ach with their name in the corner, health reading on the sides and the flow of the probes in their bodies._

"_You're lying, you haven't had the time!" Danny said his voice trembling slightly, his knuckles strained white._

"_Oh but I have, have you wondered why Mad Mod found you in the alley though he said the Tower was his target? I did that, Daniel."_

_The screen changed to show the security video feed across the street from Danny's alleyway showing Slade moving in, pointing a gun at the Titans and fired. The halfa wanted to look away from the picture as each of his friends' bodies temporarily glowed a violent red. The man left, seconds later Mad Mod appeared walking down the street his cane in hand._

_The flash he saw, the shadow… that had been Slade. Danny felt his whole body tremble._

"_So Daniel, what will it be, helping me, or letting the Teen Titans die?"_

_The answer was obvious._

As the wind blew past him, Danny tried to pretend it was the cause of his tears. But by the time he arrived at pier forty-one they were long since dried. After all, even though Slade had found Danny's one weakness, didn't mean he'd let the man know it. Walking through the doors, Danny hardened his heart, he wouldn't regret his actions, if Slade wanted him to play the villain he would, even though the looks of betrayal still tore up his already bleeding heart.

"Welcome, Daniel," Slade said the teen's eyes glowed a deathly green. Something told Danny that whatever the man was planning, this was only just beginning. So he would play. Because he wasn't the villain, but something more.

* * *

><p>AN: Read &amp; Review<p>

~Rin


	15. Chapter 13: The Apprentice's Weapon

_The nightmare is my dream..._

"_At least now I don't have to be kind nor good. _

_I'll be cruel and I'll be obscene, tear out my tongue,_

_'cause I've been redeemed."~Florence Welch_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 13: The Apprentice's Weapon

Robin was so close, running through the cannon chasing the dark shadow that was Slade. This time he'd get him, this time he'd know why. The teen launched himself sky high, he momentarily wondered, what did he need to know? His feet hit solid rock and Robin rolled, allowing his weight to spread evenly and not snap any of his bones. Slade moved from behind a giant stone rock.

"Dangerous behavior, Robin, you must be very eager to see me. I'm flattered," Slade said. Robin felt his anger burn.

"I'm not here to see you. I'm here to stop you."

"Humm, but how can you stop me when you don't even know what I'm planning," the man said moving behind the rock, the two circling each other like animals.

"Like this," Robin replied running forward, throwing punches. Slade dodged, the teen's fists connecting with the stone pillars. Robin jumped over the man and countered, but his fist was easily caught. Slade sent him flying into another rock. The teen quickly stood, but no matter how many times he tried, he always hit the rocks and never the man. Slade turned and kicked Robin in the chest sending him twenty feet back, he jumped to his feet and threw two boomerangs, and Slade deflected, sending them crashing into two stone pillars. And just like that, the giant rocks came crashing down, taking down the others surrounding them. Coughing, Robin moved through the smoke looking for Slade.

"Excellent, Robin, we appear to be evenly matched and equally ruthless. Not surprising," the man said his voice echoing around the cannon, Robin stiffened. Slade's voice sounded right behind him, "you and I are so very much alike." The Titan spun and punched Slade in the face.

"I am _nothing_ like you!" Robin yelled dragging the man forward, staring him down.

"You're a criminal, a psychopath. All you care about is destruction," Robin said. Slade merely turned, his grey black eye boring into the teen.

"And all you care about you destroy," he said motioning to the rock pillars, the shattered bodies of his friends carved in stone.

"No. Who are you?" Robin yelled ripping the mask away to reveal…himself. Slade laughed through his voice, Robin bolted backwards. The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, the Titan turned away but stumbled back when he saw Danny standing next to him. Those green eyes blazing, black bangs falling like rain around his face.

"Why?" Danny spoke looking at Robin in pure hatred.

"What?" Robin asked shaking, looking to the mixed halfa. Danny's eyes changed blue, his hair now snow white.

"Why can't you _see!"_ The blue eyes held a look of pure desperation.

Robin screamed as fire engulfed him. The Titan jolted awake in his seat, sweat pouring down his face. His nerves felt like they'd been dragged across a razor, and it took several moments before he could catch his breath. The door opened and Cyborg entered, his face grim.

"It's him. It's Slade."

Robin felt like the world just disappeared beneath his feet. Silently, he stood, and the two teens headed to the main room where Slade looked down at them on the massive computer screen.

"Good morning, Teen Titans, I do hope I didn't wake you," Slade said. Beastboy let out a soft growl.

"What are you an insomniac, who calls at five in the mor…ow!" BB gasped, Raven elbowing him in the chest. Her powers a breath away from destroying something. All of the Titans were like that. Beastboy's gloves had flecks of red showing from where his fists pounded into the wall, Starfire's eyes were lined in red, and Cyborg couldn't seem to get the twitch out of his right eye. And Robin didn't even want to think about how he must look right now. Slade was very pleased at this, who knew that a string of harsh words and a threat from a teen they barely even knew could do this much damage.

"What do you want?" Robin asked, hands curling into fists at his sides.

"Well that's precisely what you've been trying to find out, isn't it? And despite all your efforts, you're still in the dark about my intentions," Slade said. Robin had to turn away.

"Disappointing, Robin. I expected a little more from you."

"Like I care what you…"

"But, since you've been unable to discover my plan, I suppose I'll just have to reveal it myself," Slade said, the camera moving away from him to a device covered in a tarp, two robots pulled the cloth away.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of a Cronoton Detonator." The device opened into four sections humming, a blood red glow surrounding each level, every one of the Teen Titans gasped.

"Um, what's a crouton detonator?" Beastboy asked getting the name wrong and looking to Starfire, whose eyes were panicked.

"It eradicates all Cronoton's within a localized area, utterly destroying the space time continuum," she said.

"Huh?"

"It stops time, permanently," Raven clarified. Beastboy felt his jaw hit the floor.

"If he triggers that thing downtown, it'll freeze frame the entire city," Cyborg said leaning forward his hands clenched into fists.

"Tell me where!" Robin yelled at Slade, who was now back on the screen.

"You're a clever boy, Robin. I'm sure you and your little friends can figure it out. However, since I control the detonation, time, is not on your side," and that said Slade logged off. The small, square device still in his hand, that sent every nerve in Robin on edge. The leader growled.

"Fan out. Find it. Shut it down!" Robin said turning to stalk away. Beastboy and Cyborg were suddenly standing in his way, arms crossed over their chests.

"Hey, uh, maybe you should stay here and coordinate the search," BB said nervously. Robin stared at him in shock, not understanding where this was going.

"What?" Robin asked, Cyborg sighed.

"Man, when it comes to Slade, you got issues. Might be better for the team if you sit this one out," he said.

"No. There's too much at stake for me to…"

"Robin," Starfire said her voice sounding tired and beaten down. Robin turned to met her eyes, his heart clenching painfully in his chest from the look on her face.

"We have not forgotten the last time you have faced…"

"I made a mistake, Starfire. It won't happen again. I can handle it. I promise," he said turning back around, heading for the door.

"Would you at least like to know where to look?" Raven said at the computer going over the video feed frame by frame, stopping at the image of the Cronoton Detonator.

"Slade gave us more information than he realized," she said the team approaching, watching as she highlighted a certain area in a green grid.

"Here, in this reflection," Raven said pointing out the faint shimmer of lines.

"Oh, squiggly lines, way informative," Beastboy said sarcastically.

"If you use the lines as the starting point, you can create negative space and shade it in," Raven replied, her fingers moving across the keyboard: a word and numbers became visible, and she then flipped the reflection over to reveal.

"Pier 41," Starfire said.

"The docks," Robin answered as Beastboy blushed and apologized to Raven, who was giving him an _I-told-you-so _look. The Teen Titans set out.

* * *

><p>Danny watched silently while Slade spoke to the Titans. Giving up on his eyes ever being blue again, the teen shifted into his ghost form. The camera turned off and the device was lowered in the ground onto a boat. Slade passed him, never sparing a backwards glance.<p>

"Follow."

The teen let out a growl but did as instructed. It was when they entered Slade's lair that Danny truly shuttered. For the clocks and gears reminded him to much of Clockwork. The halfa felt his shoulders slump at the thought of the time ghost. How long had it been since he last visited? But Danny pushed that thought aside, choosing instead to take in his surroundings. The gears took up most of the space. They turned in a broken repeating cycle, the pendulums swinging on the off beats, it was loud and utterly disorienting to look at. Turning away from the clocks, Danny noticed Slade watching him, his masked face unreadable. The halfa growled.

"Wonderful decorations, no doubt you have issues on proper time management," Danny smirked at his comment, but Slade never countered. Instead he marched forward, his metal combat boots making no sound on the cement floor. The teen screamed when Slade grabbed him by the throat and threw him hard into the far wall. Staggering and boiling with anger, Danny tried to stand, but two strong arms pinned him to the wall.

"You will not speak until spoken to. You will not do, until ordered to. You are to be nothing more than my weapon. If I order you to attack you will. If I order you to die you will," Slade said and with this, Slade let Danny fall to the floor. The halfa stared up at the man in shock, eyes glowing with defiance. Slade motioned to the other wall where the five Titans' vitals were being displayed, the nanoscopic probes floating in their blood.

"Do you understand?"

Danny bowed his head to hide the desperation in his eyes. "Yes."

"Good, your new uniform is in the other room. You will stay there until I order you elsewhere," Slade said the screens flipping over to a live feed of Pier forty-one. The Titans all approaching the building. Danny stood while Slade had his back towards him, both knowing the halfa wouldn't attack.

"Dismissed."

And Danny left for the other room. It was hard getting the other uniform to fit over his hazmat suit. After all, ghosts could only layer their clothes. Never change what you died in. That is unless they were born in the Ghost Zone, and since Danny hadn't, he was currently struggling with the tight black and bronze shirt and finally after much yanking, cussing, and straightening, the halfa got it over his head. It was a long sleeved turtle neck, the two colors splitting over his heart so that his entire neck and right side were bronze and his left side black. Slade's emblem replacing his over the center of his chest, its colors inverted across the dividing line. Sighing, Danny reached over and tugged on the combat boots over his pure white ones. And he clicked on the sliver armor until his shoulders, wrists, and legs were covered, and he snapped on the belt. Danny looked over to his appearance in the mirror and recoiled at the sight. For the metal added bulk to his lean muscled frame, reminding the halfa too much of Dan. Memories began to cloud his mind, dragging the teen down in their forcefulness, until Danny gripped his head pulling at the snow white locks.

"No, not right now," he whispered and forcing the memories back, Danny groaned. He needed to concentrate; he needed to know what Slade was planning. Hovering in the air, the halfa crossed his legs and tried to stretch his heightened sense of hearing beyond its breaking point. It was painful, but Danny began to hear Slade as he paced the main floor, the noisy clocks did nothing to help the teen focus. Instead they were giving him a horrible headache, but Danny didn't stop. Pushing past the disharmonious noise, the teen began to hear the Titans on the screen. Star's voice ringing like a soft bell.

"Robin, we are victorious," she said, her voice filled with worry.

* * *

><p>Robin stood panting heavily, "Slade's got his finger on the button, and we've got nothing. Does that sound like a victory to you?" Robin spat, turning away and leaving his friends behind.<p>

Once outside Cyborg activated his sensors, Beastboy standing next to him.

"Okay, we know the Cronoton Detonator was here, now we just have to figure out where it went," Cy said trying to focus his sensors.

"No problem we should split up and…"

"Waste hours searching only to come up empty handed," Raven said joining the two.

"Well, when you put it that way," Beastboy said blushing slightly. Starfire landing next to them. Robin staring off into the dark waters of the harbor.

"Raven is right, we must find some way to track the device," Star said. The boy wonder turned when he saw a shadow move. A worker emerging behind one of the buildings.

"Freeze!" Robin yelled taking off when the man bolted around the corner, the team momentarily stunned before racing after their leader.

Danny gasped when he felt his senses snap back in. His strength no longer being able to hold. Uncurling his feet, the halfa touched the ground breathing heavily, he'd managed to hear some of the Titans conversation. Although, he had no idea how close they were to finding the Cronoton Detonator.

"Interesting, you're more powerful than I imagined," Slade said causing Danny to spin and face him. How had he not heard the man? Mentally slapping himself, the halfa answered his own question, he'd been so focused on hearing the Teen Titans he drowned out all other noises.

"Well what can I say, old habits die hard," Danny said. The halfa should have known the punch would come.

* * *

><p>Robin slammed the dock worker into the wall and held up Slade's symbol.<p>

"Tell me everything you know about this!" He demanded, the man could only stutter, eyes wide in fear. Robin slammed him into the wall once more.

"Answer me, _now!"_

"I-I d-don't know. I've never seen it before!" The man stuttered, black energy encompassed Robin's torso and flung him back into the opposite wall. The worker quickly ran away as the Titans approached their leader. Raven dissipating the energy.

"You said you could handle it," Raven stated as Robin's feet touched the ground. He glared at his team and walked forward.

"You promised," Starfire said. The actions Robin was taking dragged knives across her injured heart.

"We're wasting time," Robin spat turning to walk ahead of the group.

"You know, just because we're trying to catch Slade, doesn't mean you have to act like him!" Beastboy snapped glaring at his leader. Robin stopped dead in his tracks. Whirling around, he marched back to his team and glared down at the changeling.

"Don't you ever compare me to him! Slade's trying to destroy the city. I'm trying to save it!" Robin yelled his voice echoing off the walls making all of Beastboy's worries and pent up anger explode around him.

"If you're trying to save the city, why can't you _see _that your actions say otherwise!" BB yelled his tone bordering on a snarl. Robin recoiled, the words searing into his mind.

"_Why can't you see?"Danny screamed._

What was he not seeing? And why did Beastboy's words remind Robin of Danny's threat. Had the halfa really meant it?

Robin felt his head beginning to spin. His anger disappearing, watching Beastboy pant, fists trembling at his sides, stained blood growing bigger on the gloves. Oh god, he really was beginning to act like Slade. Robin stepped forward, palms outstretched to the green changeling in apology… when Starfire inhaled and sneezed, sending a giant unfocused star-bolt from her, _mouth_? The Teen Titans all stood in shock and slightly smoking, while Starfire rubbed her nose.

"Gesundheit," Raven said.

"Forgive me. I am allergic to metallic chromium there must be a source nearby," Star stuttered. Her breath hitching, and all of the Titans ran for cover as she let out another exploding star-bolt sneeze.

"Ugh, sorry," Star said looking absolutely miserable, the team emerging from their hiding places.

"Interesting," Cy said looking at his sensors then to Starfire who sniffled.

"Ugh, not really, on my world Chromium allergies are quite common."

"No, the key component of a Chronoton Detonator is a metallic Chromium core which means…" Cy said.

"Starfire can track it," Beastboy finished, and all of the Titans looked to the Tamaranean girl who sniffled once more.

* * *

><p>Danny spat out a mouthful of mixed colored blood and stared at it like a bad Christmas present. Laughing a little at the memories that thought brought up, the halfa sat up. Wincing slightly from the throb of broken ribs. Not that that really bothered him. He'd taken far worse injuries than Slade could ever hope to dish out. But still, that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. And yeah, it hurt.<p>

Swaying slightly as his head started to spin, Danny stood and pressed his back against the wall, trying to keep the bile down. Once he was sure he wouldn't puke, the halfa gripped his left shoulder, took a shallow breath and pushed, feeling the pop of his joint returning to the socket. Danny let out a soft cry before he began rolling his shoulder back, making sure no permanent damage had been done. But despite all of his physical injuries, nothing could compare to his injured pride.

It had taken a lot of Danny's will power to not fight back. To let Slade speak to him like he was nothing more than a weapon and not a person. Of course, four years of being screwed mentally by Vlad made Danny pretty impervious to any mental trick this psychopath was saying. Still, it didn't mean that those words didn't burn through Danny's emotions. Making the halfa want to scream and be the weapon Slade wanted him to be. Although, the man would be shocked, when his so called 'weapon' unleashed all of his power back in that smug masked face of his.

Danny growled, he needed to focus and think of a way to free the Teen Titans. Overshadowing might work, but Danny didn't have the power to search through the person's mind. Plus, overshadowing could only last so long before the halfa was completely drained or Slade decided to resist. And he only had a limited amount of time to locate the trigger. Danny shuddered, and if he failed, Slade would destroy the Titans.

The halfa felt his heart constrict in his chest…he couldn't let them die. The only possibility was to wait and let Slade reveal where the trigger was. It would also mean he'd have to suck it up and be the weapon. Sighing, Danny let his head fall back against the wall with a soft thunk, green eyes closing. For now he'd wait, and Slade's little beat down wasn't going to stop the halfa from eavesdropping. Stretching his senses once more, the halfa began to listen to the sounds of water and weapon's fire.

"I will not be havin' attitude from a boat!" Cy yelled, causing Danny to grin. Well, looks like they found the detonator.

The Titans were deep in the sewers. Starfire holding Cyborg up as he activated his sonic cannon. Raven and Beastboy right behind them. The robotic teen felt worry at the thought of Robin going up against Cinderblock alone. For right before this boat chase started their leader had gotten yanked out by the giant rock and was forced to fight in another part of the sewers in a giant cavern, and the Teen Titans were about to help him, letting the Slade bot get away with the Chronoton Detonator, when Robin screamed at them to go. Starfire had wanted to stay behind, but Cy told her to follow their leader's orders. So now they were here, and Cyborg couldn't get the nagging feeling that Cinderblock had been purposefully waiting for Robin. Starfire dodged another electric yellow bullet, and Cyborg took aim pushing the worries out of his mind, he fired.

Slade was watching the whole thing play out on screen, arms crossed behind his back.

"Hurry, young Titans, your time is running out." The upstairs door exploded, Robin's silhouette standing in the light.

"Actually, we just went into overtime," Robin said.

Danny's eyes snapped open in shock and panic. How was Robin here? The teen pushed off from the wall, his mind racing.

"Robin, welcome. I've been expecting you for some time. I was beginning to wonder if Cinderblock was too much of a challenge."

Robin leapt onto the floor. Slade never turning away from the screen. Danny felt his blood run cold. That psycho had separated Robin from his team. He was purposely using Robin's desire to catch him to lure the Titan in. Why? Danny thought, his green eyes flashing in the light, his aura turning a deadlier white. Unless…

"Looking for this?" Slade asked facing the teen and holding up the square trigger, "Well, here it is," he said placing it on the ground and taking four steps back.

"If you want it, come and take it," Slade finished. Silently, Robin charged, and the fight began.

* * *

><p>Cyborg destroyed the boats weapons system and looked up to Starfire.<p>

"Thanks for the lift!" Cy said as she dropped him on the boat. The Slade robot quickly typed something into the computer before the Titan tapped him on the shoulder and threw him overboard. Cy looked at the screen which read 'autopilot engaged'. He tried to steer, but the wheel snapped off. Staring at it in shock, Starfire landed and approached him. Cy tried typing in a code, both teens screamed when the boat began zooming back and forth, screeching that it was an invalid code until Cy ripped the dash off and the boat came to a stop in a great reservoir. Raven and Beastboy landed.

"Please, tell me that's not how you're planning on stopping the detonator?" Raven asked looking at the crude way in which Cyborg had stopped the boat. He smiled sheepishly and tossed the dashboard into the water.

"Uh…"

"You do know how to stop it, don't cha?" Beastboy asked looking warily at his friend.

"How hard could it be?" Cy replied walking over to the device, with barely the press of a button it opened menacingly.

"Oh," Cyborg said, very hard.

* * *

><p>Robin hit the concrete floor and rolled. He ran for the trigger once more and lunged, but Slade was faster and kicked him in the side. Sending the teen twenty feet back once more, further into the darkness of the turning gears.<p>

"Come now, Robin, you'll have to do better than that. I haven't even broken a sweat," Slade said. Running forward, kicking the teen in the chest. Robin felt his body slowing down as he tried to dodge the elder's attacks, which seemed to only grow in power. Anger boiled over, and Robin let out a snarl, charging forward, his attacks becoming more predictable, he threw a punch, and Slade caught hold of the teen's fist, wrenching him forward. Robin screamed when Slade forced his elbow to bend painfully and threw him over his shoulder.

Robin hit the floor and slammed against the wall. Forcing all the wind out of his lungs. Gasping for air, the Titan tried to stand. His vision blurring, the sound of metallic boots hitting the ground, racing forward. Robin tensed for the punch, black cape falling over his shoulders. When something else attacked and looking up Robin saw a flash of white, and Slade being sent forty feet back into the depths of the gears.

"D-Danny?" Robin stuttered, momentarily forgetting everything that was happening. The Titan could only stare as the halfa turned to him, and suddenly he was at Robin's throat. His green eyes filled with thousands of emotions.

"Run," it was the only word Danny managed to say before he let out a scream and fell to the floor withering in agony, his suit electrocuting him.

"Danny!" Robin screamed, bending down as the volts stopped, and the teen simply lay there. His body twitching ever so slightly. Slade emerged from the darkness.

"What a shame, when a weapon decides to malfunction. Although, I must give him credit he's stronger than he appears," Slade said pocketing a small device. Robin saw red. Blindly, he charged, for all he wanted was to hurt the man who caused his friend pain. A fist connected with Robin's chest and the teen felt something crack. His body went slack, and he fell forward clutching his heart.

"Good technique. Good, but not perfect," Slade said speaking as if he hadn't just tortured Danny. Robin slammed his fist down in pure hatred.

"I understand you're frustration, you hate losing as much as I do. One of the many qualities we have in common." Slade said looking down at the teen. Robin snapped, and in a burst of power, he jumped nailing the man in his face. The Titan continued punching Slade, taking everything out on him until the man no longer looked like he could get up. Robin was so angered he never noticed how Slade never resisted. Walking away, the masked teen retrieved the trigger and went to stand next to his unconscious, now human, friend.

"It's over, Slade," Robin said.

"On the contrary, Robin, this is only the beginning," Slade said emerging from the shadows. The trigger in the Titan's hand disintegrating.

"Where's the real trigger?" Robin asked panic filling his stomach.

"Trigger, there is no trigger. Because there is no detonator," Slade answered. Robin froze in shock.

* * *

><p>There were only three wires left to cut, the Chronoton core swirling in the center of the device glowing an angry red.<p>

"Moment of truth ya'll, everybody ready?" Cy asked holding up one finger which had a small flame shooting from it.

"I can't watch!" BB whispered, although he couldn't turn away. Cy bent forward and sliced through the wire, the red core turned a calm, cool blue. Everyone sighed. The device became the blood color once more, and everyone screamed as it began to spread throughout the machine.

"We blew it, we'll be frozen in time forever!" BB screamed right when the device collapsed and fell in on itself.

"Um, why aren't we frozen in time forever?" He asked.

"Because this wasn't a Chronoton Detonator, it was a fake," Cyborg stated. All of the Titans looking at the device, none of them noticing the gun raising up from the other end of the boat. It fired red bullets at them, sending all of the Titans into the water.

"Ugh, So aside from the nasty taste of sewer water in my mouth, I think I'm okay," Beastboy said, Cyborg studied his sensors.

"Diagnostic sensors say I'm fine."

"Whatever that beam was supposed to do, it didn't do it," Raven said while Starfire smiled at her friends.

"So, we are victorious?" She asked.

Robin watched in horror as the events played out on the screen before him. The vitals of his friends appeared on screen, something coursing through their blood.

"Nanoscopic probes, the Chronoton Detonator was merely a decoy for a much larger trap. It's funny, Daniel had a similar reaction. However the bullets I fired at the Titans the first time were nothing more than blanks. A test run. These on the other hand, have the full capacity to eradicate your friends," Slade said gazing back to Robin who snarled.

"You can't control them. No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you," Robin stated.

"This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about Daniel. And it's about you," Slade said beginning to circle Robin who felt panic and fear setting in.

"What?" He said his voice sounded to quiet.

"Sending trouble your way, leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel, I was testing you. For some time now I've been searching for an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps, and, Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations," Slade said his grey eye smirking.

"No way would I ever work for you!" Robin said in disbelief and disgust.

"Really? Because Daniel gave in quite easily. After all, if he lets his friends die again, well let's just say I don't think he'd make it. So tell me, Robin, will you survive if you murder your friends?" Slade asked holding up his hand where a small device rested. A red button glistening in the dark light. Robin took a step back, Slade's thumb resting on the trigger, the teen's eyes filled with horror.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again, I will allow them to live. But, if you disobey even the smallest request, I will annihilate them, Robin, and I'll make you watch. So, do we have a deal?"

Robin could only glare. He knew perfectly how Danny must have felt. For the choice was obvious.

* * *

><p>"Robin? Robin? Please respond," Starfire said through the communicator. The rest of the team emerging from the sewers.<p>

"Why does he not answer?" She asked.

"His locators been deactivated. We have no way to find him," Cy stated, his gut clenching with worry.

"Not good," BB said.

"Robin, please you must answer. Robin? Robin where are you? First friend Danny and now you, please answer me? Robin?" Starfire kept asking, but the boy wonder ignored her, snapping on the last piece of metal. His uniform was identical to Danny's, only the dividing line ran straight down the middle. Slade's emblem blazing across the left part of his chest. Slade entered the room, Danny by his side, green eyes burning through everything. Silently, the halfa came to stand next to Robin. His unearthly presence comforting, and yet added fuel to Robin's already blazing fire. He'd get them out of here, he'd save his friends, and he'd definitely save Danny. Robin swore in his head glaring defiantly at Slade the entire time. The man merely took on a fatherly tone.

"I know it seems bad now, but trust me, you'll learn to like it. After all, with your ruthlessness and Daniel's merciless will, together, both of you will be unstoppable."

Slade left the teens, and in that moment, Robin called the man every dishonorable word possible in any language he'd picked up over the years. While Danny just named him a psycho-loop.

* * *

><p>"Robin? Robin? Please, where are you?" The girl said through the communicator as she flew high over the dark city.<p>

"Starfire, enough, you've been calling for forty-five minutes," Raven said speaking through the small speaker.

"Perhaps if I just try one more…"

"Come on, Star, if he's gonna pick up, he'd have done it by now," Beastboy said exasperated, "'sides you're kinda giving me a headache."

"But why does he not respond? Where could he be?" She asked. And deep down in the sewers Cyborg was examining the damage done by Cinderblock, his anger and guilt beginning to eat at him.

"Robin and Cinderblock definitely went a few rounds but I can't tell who won…or where they went."

"No sign of him here either," Raven replied looking at the layout of the city back at Titan's Tower. All her friends' locators flashing on the map, all except Robin's.

"I've been monitoring all the frequencies, but he hasn't checked in," Raven said frustrated.

"Oh, we're bad friends, we should never have let Robin do battle alone," Star spoke the wind whipping around her red hair.

Beastboy leapt from a building and transformed out of his monkey form.

"Yeah 'specially since Slade's big do da was a dud," he snapped, running onward.

"The Chronoton Detonator wasn't a dud. It was a decoy to lure us away from Robin, and we fell for it," Raven stated, the sound of crushing rocks filled the speaker, Cyborg destroying part of the sewers.

"Argh, shoulda known that thing was a fake if I just trusted…" He yelled stopping short.

"But why? Why did Slade wish to separate us from Robin?" Star asked.

"And if the detonator was a decoy…" BB said.

"What was Slade's real plan?" Raven finished her eyes narrowing, the red alarm went off.

"Titans, trouble!" Cyborg yelled.

* * *

><p>Danny let go of Robin and watched as the former Titan fell from the sky and onto the skyscraper building and broke in.<p>

Robin jumped into the lab and threw his boomerang. Slade's emblem now on it. The device exploded and the security case holding FoxTech's newest weapon opened with ease. The former Titan grabbed the device, the sound of the security force thundering his way.

"He's stolen the thermal blaster! Stop him!" The security chief screamed.

Robin ran out onto the giant circular balcony that surrounded the entire building. Dodging the bullets, the former Titan dove up into the shadows and leapt down when the police force disappeared around the corner. Now to go meet up with Danny. Heading for the corner Robin froze when the Teen Titans surrounded him.

"Freeze!" Cyborg yelled not able to see the thief. Robin dashed across the bridge. He'd have to jump and pray Danny would catch him.

Robin was nearing the edge when doubt filled him, he needed his friends to know who they were chasing, and he needed them to see Danny as well. Praying this didn't blow up in his face, Robin skidded to a stop and turned. The lights illuminating who he was, and the former Titan watched his friends skid to a stop and look at him in pure shock.

"Robin?" Beastboy said, eyes wide as saucers.

"Whoa," Cy said.

"Robin, why are you…" Star tried to ask. Robin growled and threw a boomerang, which exploded in green light from an ecto blast before it could reach his friends and cause serious harm. Robin felt so much relief at that, when he felt Danny's presence land beside him. Even though Danny was imprisoned, it hadn't meant that he didn't know how to play the game. Once more the Titans were in shock. Beastboy couldn't understand Robin and now Danny, who BB had started looking up to like a brother, were standing there glaring at them. The Teen Titans charged, and Robin drew the thermal blaster and destroyed the bridge, catching it on fire. Danny grabbed the former Titan and disappeared into the night.

Leaving their friends behind, Robin and Danny handed over the two weapons they were asked to steal. Slade taking them from their hands.

"Excellent, Robin, Daniel, I'm pleased, you're already proving to be the perfect apprentices."

"This deal can't last forever," Robin spat, his temper flaring, Danny tensed by his side.

"It can and it will. The probes can remain undetected for years. That is, unless you two decide to disobey me, and I in return, destroy your, _former _friends," Slade said walking up to them. His tone nothing more than stating the facts. Robin returned that sentiment.

"Sooner or later you'll let your guard down, and I will get that controller, and the instant they're out of danger," Robin said his eyes flickering over to Danny, "you will pay."

"That sounds like a threat, young man, quite a good threat actually," Slade said walking past the teens. He paused looking back to see what would happen next.

"Betrayal, destruction, revenge, we really do think alike."

Robin spun faster than Danny could anticipate and watched as the teen lunged for Slade's arm. But the man was quicker and he soon had Robin on his knees, arm twisted back behind him. Danny charged an ecto-blast and held it to Slade's chest.

"You're wrong," Danny growled out, the psycho merely laughed and looked at the halfa and then to the Titan.

"Am I?" Slade asked releasing Robin who scrambled to his feet. Danny placing himself slightly in front of the Titan, warning him not to attack. Slade turned away, his voice cutting through the darkness.

"For you see, I monitored Robin's vital signs during the mission. Elevated heart rate, adrenaline, endorphins, you won't admit it, but on some level you enjoyed stealing. It was a thrill wasn't it, Robin?"

The Titan glared, rubbing circles across his arm. Slade working at the table, combining the two weapons, and Danny watched as Robin held the look of self doubt on his face. The halfa felt pure fury at Slade, who instantly reminded him of Vlad. Although, the fruitloop still had him beat on the whole, _let's mess with Danny's head_, Slade obviously was Robin's Vlad. And in some twisted way it made sense. Vlad was half-human like Danny, and Slade was just as human as Robin was. Oh, why the hell did fruitloops and psychopaths always want apprentices as sons? Danny thought. And somehow, the way Slade was talking to Robin; he obviously wanted to include the son idea in his plan.

"You're going to keep stealing, and you're going to keep getting that thrill, and sooner or later, you will see things my way," Slade said turning around and snapping the newly designed weapon on the former Titans arm.

"Who knows, I might even become like a father to both of you."

Oh great, Danny mentally groaned, now _he_ was included in the psycho's delusion. Not that he already wasn't but hey, he wasn't looking for another fruitloop. Slade left the room and for a long time Robin could only stare at the new weapon hooked to his arm, when he finally spoke up, his voice was strong.

"I already have a father."

In that moment, Danny couldn't have been happier and so utterly sad. The halfa heard something fluttering high above the bunker, and it sounded like… bats?

* * *

><p>Beastboy was pacing the floor, he knew his friends would need an explanation to why their friends had betrayed them. So the changeling did the only thing he could think of, fall back into the world of comic books. Where the lines of good and evil were clearly drawn. After all, maybe it would cheer them up.<p>

"O.k. the way I see it, there are only two logical explanations. One, Robin and Danny have been replaced by evil robot doubles. Two, they're innocent victims of zombie mind control," BB finished closing the two comic books. Raven and Cyborg were sitting on the couch, not amused.

"As logical as that sounds, if anything was controlling their minds, I would have sensed it," Raven said looking downhearted.

"And my scanners confirm their biometrics, that was the real Robin and Danny. Those were our friends," he said both teens closed their eyes accepting fate.

"Lies!" Starfire yelled standing by the kitchen startling the team, "That was not Robin or Danny, your scanners are wrong. They're our friends and nothing could ever make them betray us!"Star said her eyes brimming with tears, for she couldn't believe it. That Danny would threaten them, that Robin would join Slade, that they would use all of Star's emotions against her. To hurt her.

"But something did," Raven answered her own eyes starting to water. Cyborg and Beastboy closed their eyes.

"And," Raven said taking a deep breath to steady her heart, "no matter how much we wish it weren't true. Robin and Danny are criminals now, and just like any other criminals…"

"The Teen Titans have to bring them down," Cy finished, tears fell down Star's sun creamed skin and Beastboy let out a soft whimper. The Tower alarm went off. There was trouble in the city.

* * *

><p>Robin was instructed to steal from Wayne Tower, located in the center of Jump City's technology industry, and the teen tried to ignore the irony of it. Destroying the doors, the former Titan walked up to the device when Cyborg's voice filled the silence.<p>

"You're not walking out of here, Robin."Robin spun to face his friends, "not without a fight, Titans, go!" Cy yelled and they charged. The former Titan let out a scream in rage. He had to remind himself he couldn't speak. Robin vaulted over Cyborg and escaped through the air vent, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He needed to get away.

"Danny, come in?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm on the roof, I need you to…" Robin was cut off, Slade snarling through the headset.

"Not so fast, Robin, you have yet to achieve your objective."

"The device was to heavily guarded, I'll have to steal it another time."

"No!" Slade yelled making Robin stop on the roof, the giant letters humming behind him. The former Titan tried not to think of the name they spelled.

"Go back, unless you want me to destroy them, go back and fight."

"Robin!" Cyborg said on the other side of the roof. Robin looked up to see his friends standing defensively, none of them wanting to fight.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but we don't want to fight you or Danny, we just want to talk."

Great, the one thing he couldn't do. Robin leapt into the air and kicked Cyborg in the chest. Beastboy looked to his friend and let his pained heart turn to anger.

"I guess there's nothing to talk about," he said and with this he let his form shift to a giant gorilla and attacked. Robin dodged, flipping onto the giant 'A' managing to trap Beastboy in it to prevent the changeling from crushing him. He leapt back onto the roof and ran past Starfire to attack Raven. After all, she was the only one who could stop him in his tracks and make him disobey. Robin continued to fight Raven, the girl shielding herself with black magic, but refusing to use it on her friend. Cyborg charged his sonic cannon and took aim. He had a perfect shot, growling in frustration at himself, he deactivated his weapon and charged. Beastboy broke loose and transformed into a ram, hitting Robin in his side and sending him rolling to the edge of the sixty story building, where he remained unmoving.

"Dude, are you o.k.?" Beastboy asked running over to Robin in fear. He was almost there when Danny shot up from the edge and punched the changeling back. He landed on the roof. Robin recovered jumping to his feet. Slade spoke in both their earpieces.

"Fight to win," then separately in Robin's ear, Slade instructed him to use the modified thermal blaster. Both teens charged forward. The former Titan throwing a flash grenade when Danny was caught in Raven's black magic.

"Can't see!" She screamed as the halfa crashed to the ground and ran at Cyborg, who only blocked Danny's punches.

"C'mon man don't make me do this, I don't want to do this!" Cy yelled before blasting Danny back with his cannon. Beastboy and Raven surrounded him eyes weary, still hesitating to fight, and the halfa felt hate and guilt pool in his stomach. For he was in an impossible situation, just like when Vlad had forced him and Jazz to fight, only this was different. For the Teen Titans had no idea what was going on. That if this battle didn't look convicting, Slade would kill them. And that was something the halfa could never go through again. Steeling himself, Danny met their eyes with defiance, not directed at them. The four teens never noticed that Robin was up on the giant letter. Aiming his thermal blaster at Starfire, who held one glowing fist at his heart, her eyes pure green in anger.

"Do not move," Starfire ordered, her star-bolt almost pure white in the center of her palm.

"I thought I told you to use that thermal blaster. Attack!" Slade yelled through Robin's earpiece. The former Titan winced, but charged the device. Star's eyes widened, she now knew her answer to who Robin truly was.

"Robin, you are my best friend. I cannot be in a world where we must fight. If you are truly evil then go ahead, do what you must," she said the star-bolt dying in her hand, forest green eyes closing in acceptance. The Tamaranean girl refused to cry. Robin deactivated his weapon, eyes widening in horror.

"Starfire, no I…ah!" He gasped when Slade's voice filled his ear.

"_Robin, _I gave you an order, if you won't attack, my probes will," Slade yelled and with the click of a button the nanoscopic probes moving through the Teen Titan's blood and interlaced with their clothes began to activate. Starfire, Raven, Beastboy, and Cyborg screamed as their bodies and clothes began to glow a florescent orange and red, their eyes a blinding white.

"No!" Danny and Robin screamed. The Titans withered in pain. Robin caught Starfire and held her close, but she gave no indication that she knew he was here.

"Stop, please!" Robin begged looking down to his friends. Danny in the middle of them, his eyes wide in panic.

"Attack, Robin, it's the only way to save them. Attack with everything you got," Slade said, and setting Starfire down. Robin apologized to her, she called his name. The former Titan raised his weapon and fired, the blast bouncing off a small green shield inches above her chest.

Starfire groaned slowly, opening her eyes she sat up on the letters and looked down to her friends who were also recovering, confusion on each of their faces.

"Okay, weirdness, what just…" Beastboy dodged when he heard the fire of the thermal gun above him, and Robin landed in the middle of them. Throwing the changeling towards Raven while Danny took out her legs, sending her to the ground. The halfa turned to Cyborg, the boy wonder going after Starfire. Both of them carefully aiming their blasts to miss their friends by inches. The Titans regrouped, and Danny and Robin backed up to the edge of the roof. In that moment, the former Titan knew what needed to be done. Throwing three exploding disks at Wayne's name, Robin leapt from the roof and tore out his earplugs. Free falling, he waited for Danny to do the same. Free of any listening devices, the halfa grabbed onto Robin's arm and the Titan said one word.

"Teleport."

* * *

><p>The Teen Titans stood on the roof of the now destroyed Wayne Tower.<p>

"They're gone," Raven said landing next to Star, Cy and BB coming to stand next to them.

"Everybody okay?" Cyborg asked to this Beastboy raised his question.

"Uh, I know where Robin picked up that heat ray. But where did he and Danny learn that little hurty glowy trick?"

"I do not think that was Robin or Danny. Perhaps it is Slade who has learned a new trick," Starfire said looking out over the city.

Slade kept rewinding the tapes, re-watching them, observing his two apprentices.

"Thrilling, they're progressing faster than I had hoped. All they needed was a little motivation," Slade said. Robin's fist came out of nowhere.

"Motivate this!" And he aimed his punch at the man's face. Slade threw him off. Robin landing on the ground, a few feet back from the elevated throne chair next to Danny, whose eyes held nothing but livid anger. The man stood and made his way down the stone steps.

"Robin, that was viscous, dishonorable, and ruthless. Excellent, you're becoming more like me every second."

Robin took a step back, horrified, Danny let out a growl.

"He's nothing like you, you deranged psycho," Danny said. The former Titan could only stare as Slade looked Danny dead in the eyes, the halfa showing none of his fear. Memories flashing behind his green eyes trying to suck him in.

"Is that disobedience?" Slade asked.

Danny smirked, "No, just facts. _This _is disobedience." Turning intangible, the suit and armor clattered to the floor revealing Danny's black and white hazmat suit. Slade's eye widened in shock, Robin charged.

* * *

><p>"I think I found something! The enhanced sensors are picking up radio interference on the nanoscopic scale," Cyborg said. Beastboy strapped to a chair in the living room of Titan's Tower, cords and wires ribboning out and feeding into a machine. The monitor showing the changeling's blood with tiny metallic probes attached to the red blood cells. Beastboy shivered.<p>

"Those things are inside me? Ewww!"

"There inside all of us, billions of them!" Cyborg stated.

"With this technology at his hands, Slade can destroy us whenever he wants," Starfire said.

"Unless Robin and Danny do whatever he says," Raven replied looking at the screen. Beastboy crossed his arms and snorted.

"And you guys said my zombie idea was crazy," But in his heart, BB was sighing in relief for his friends hadn't become villains.

"We need to find them!" Starfire exclaimed in fear.

"If I can track the probes signal, I should be able to…got it!" Cyborg said, and with this the Titans took off after their friends.

* * *

><p>Robin skidded across one of the black gears and dodged when he heard Slade lunging at him. His strength capable of breaking through steel. Danny caught the man's fist and flung him backwards into the shadows. Both teens backed up, not knowing where he was, and both dodging the out of sync machinery. The man appeared behind a moving rod and the former Titan jumped, spinning. The forceful roundhouse kick sent Slade to the ground next to the large screens displaying their friends' vitals. Slade turned, the bronze side of his mask cracked.<p>

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that."

"I only wish I'd done it sooner," Robin spat throwing Slade's emblem next to the man.

Slade let out a roar and attacked. Danny prepared to defend Robin, charging a green ecto-blast. But at the last second, the man wrenched to the side and grabbed the halfa on his upper right arm. The bone snapped and an old scar resurfaced. Danny screamed as Jazz flooded his mind.

"_I'll always be here little brother," she said smiling, the specter speeder warm and smelt like faint vanilla from Jazz's shampoo._

_Vlad laughed manically in the stands__,__ holding the remote that could destroy his sister from the inside out._

As Danny went down, and Slade turned to Robin, the halfa began to remember a conversation he'd had with Vlad that now seemed truer than ever.

"The first thing you need to learn is gratitude," Slade growled out. Robin rolled onto his side and away from Slade having been thrown down in the fight. Danny pushed himself up into a sitting position and glared.

"But the only thing you two seem worried about are your _worthless_ _friends_!" Slade hissed, turning his one eye to Danny. "Perhaps you didn't believe me. After all, what's wrong with five more deaths?"

Danny suddenly couldn't breathe. Slade looked to Robin, "maybe I should just get rid of them." Robin shrunk back in defeat.

"Don't, we'll do whatever you say," the former Titan said, his mind reeling in questions for Danny. The boy wonder knew the halfa's family had been killed, but the newspaper only said it was an explosion. Just what had happened? Slade turned and smirked as Danny and Robin stood next to one another.

"Good boys, and from now on, I want you to call me Master," he said. A star-bolt slammed into Slade and sent him flying. Both teens looked over to see their friends. Starfire's eyes a violent electric green, her fists glowing in power almost concealing the other Titans who looked equally pissed.

"Leave them alone," Starfire demanded her bell like voice dark with fury.

Danny felt his mind swirl. Everything beginning to crash down around him. There was a roaring in his ears, his body exhausted from too many sleepless nights, and his emotions were pushed far past his breaking point. And now the people he was trying to protect had willingly run into danger.

"_We have to get out of here!" Sam yelled._

_"What, why?" His mother asked. Danny had seen the entire event play out as he was traveling through the time stream which was compressed around him, trying to throw him back and forward all at the same time._

"_Because the Nasty Burger is going to explode! And we're three feet from it!" Tucker exclaimed to Jack, Maddie, and Mr. Lancer__. T__he thing dressed up in his skin glowered at his two best friends._

"Attack!" Slade yelled. Danny watched in a fog as Robin ran forward, pleading to his friends.

"Get out of here, go! You don't know what those beams did to…"

"Dude," Beastboy said.

"We know," Raven deadpanned.

"And we don't care," Cyborg stated.

"We are your friends, Robin and Danny. We are not leaving without you," Starfire finished, the Titans all agreeing with her.

"How very touching."

"_I'll tell you why, because that's not Danny!" Jazz screamed in the Fenton peeler suit__,__ firing at her brother, revealing the monster beneath._

"_Where's our boy?" Danny's parents __demanded__ before the thing laughed._

"_I am your boy!" It screamed._

"_What kind of parents are you? The world's leading ghost experts and you didn't even realize that your own son was half ghost! C'mon, Danny Fenton, Danny __**Phantom, **__ever notice the similarities, Jazz did."_

"_Don't move!"Jack __ordered,__ pointing his charged ecto weapon at the ghost._

"_Actually, no one's going anywhere, not until it's time for you to be blown everywhere," it said trapping them to the boiler in ecto rope and gags. Jazz attacked, but soon she too was trapped on the boiler. Danny was almost there, he needed to stop him. Save them._

"But Robin and Danny don't need any friends," Slade said and with this, the man pressed the red trigger attached to the hidden under part of his wrist, and a separate red machine began to glow a sickening electric red. Memories and reality no longer seemed different from one another, and Danny screamed unsure of who to save. Something inside his core, began to spark and tear through Danny's skin, but he didn't know who to attack. Robin panicked watching as his friends screamed in agony, their skin orange and red. Danny could see them, both of them.

"_I won't turn into that ever. I promise."_

Slade was saying something about disobedience, but neither teen was listening. While the world spun, Danny met Robin's eyes, and a silent message was sent between them. One that would tear the halfa apart, but he none the less accepted. Vlad's voice broke through his conciseness.

"…_You'll always be put in the impossible situation."_

Robin spun and ran to the strange device. Slade screamed when he realized what his apprentice was going to do. The man needed to stop him, but he was met by Danny whose powers crackled around him. He released lighting directly into Slade just as Robin's hands slammed down onto the device. The teen screamed in pain, nanoscopic probes forcing their way into his system. Danny sank onto his knees when Robin's vitals appeared on screen.

"_You're too late to save them," Dan said__._

Danny had just condemned Robin and the Titans to death. He couldn't save them. The halfa couldn't understand the incoherence of the words in his mind, and now more than ever he wished for everything to stop. In a dream like state, the halfa watched Robin stand. Even when his body tried to wither and contort in pain, but the Titan forced himself to move until he was standing in front of Slade.

"New deal, Slade, if I lose my friends, you lose an apprentice. And I know how much you hate to lose," he said and Robin fell to the ground, the pain too much, and he screamed. The sound ripping Danny apart as an explosion danced across his vision, slamming him down onto the quaking ground. Fire. He was on fire. Slade gazed down to Robin in pure loathing, everything was falling apart. Left with no choice, he tore the device from his wrist, the small trigger self destructing. The Titans recovered, and Robin smirked. He wasn't aware of the sacrifice he just paid. Robin looked up as Slade moved to kick him. The Titan caught it and threw him.

"Titans, go!"

Beastboy tore through Slade's armor with his tiger claws, Starfire and Cyborg blasting him back while Raven grabbed his feet in black magic, twisting in the air the same moment Robin kicked Slade in the face and the mask shattered, revealing part of his shadowed face. Shocked, Slade retreated, pulling down a lever but before he disappeared, the man turned, maliciousness in his voice.

"Another day, Robin, but you've already lost one close friend," he said, the room turned red and began to explode. The Teen Titans froze in horror, and for the first time they noticed Danny, laying on the ground in pain. Hands clenching his head, trying to drown out the noise around him.

"Titans, move!" Robin yelled Cyborg ran forward and scooped Danny up in his arms. Starfire ripping out the nanoscopic device as the building exploded around them. They emerged in the sewers and continued to run, all of them confused and afraid.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Robin yelled heading back to the Tower.

"I don't know!" Cy screamed all of them couldn't understand.

Danny's mind was fractured, he knew he wasn't lost, but he couldn't find the exit. It was loud. Vlad's voice wouldn't go away. He let them die. He let Robin put his life on the line. The halfa suddenly felt very tired, he didn't want this. He didn't want the responsibility, the guilt, the pain. Danny didn't want to be a hero anymore. But what did he want? In his haze, he felt his body being laid on a bed, people moving around him, there were five of them. Suddenly, Danny knew and in a moment of hating how truly weak he'd become, he knew what he wanted, even if it meant breaking a promise.

The halfa opened his eyes which were distant and lost, the Teen Titans surrounding him.

"Danny, are you o.k. what's wrong?" Beastboy asked next to him.

"Danny, please, we need to help you," Robin begged. Danny smiled, he felt the sting of betrayal. But who betrayed him, did the Titans? Or was he betraying himself? The teen felt the dream beginning to pull him in, he just wanted to stop, to truly end.

"Sorry," he whispered and Danny closed his eyes and fell into blackness. He planned on going to the dream. The place that would cease his existence. But as he was falling, the wind whipping around his face, Sam's voice suddenly howled at him.

"_Danny, you promised! Please don't go there!"_

"Sam?" Danny whispered.

"_Danny!"_

"Sam!" Danny opened his eyes, he couldn't go there. It was the promise he was intending to break, but in trying to escape, the halfa felt tendrils of darkness wrap around him. He began to struggle; he needed to go back to the Teen Titans regardless of the pain. But his body was too weak, his mind too tired to fight the onslaught of his torrential emotions, and Danny didn't know what to do. In one final attempt to free himself, the halfa did the only thing he could think of, and instead of falling into the dream, he fell into his memories. Or possibly somewhere in between, he couldn't be too sure at the moment. Danny prayed in his one moment of clarity, that the Teen Titans would find him.

* * *

><p>The Titans were frozen in fear while two blue rings formed and changed their friend human.<p>

"W-why did he apologize?" Beastboy stuttered.

"Danny?" Starfire asked walking up to him, she tried to shake him awake. But no matter what, he didn't stir.

"Danny, you must wake up, Danny?" She yelled her voice rising to a painful level.

"Why does he not awaken?"

"Because, Danny's gone catatonic," Cyborg said jumping into action. His sensors scanned over everything that had been happening moments before.

"How is that possible?" Robin asked his question sounding more like a demand.

"I don't know, man. It could be caused by a lot of things. After all, we've really been pushing him. Maybe he finally couldn't handle it anymore," Cy said his voice a whisper.

"No, Danny wouldn't do that we're his friends…." Beastboy said voice shaking.

"And I betrayed him," Robin said causing the entire team to look at Robin in shock. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the halfa.

"I knew down in the lair that signaling Danny to defend me while I went after the nanoscopic device was too much, but it was the only thing I could do. God, what must he have been thinking when he watched us nearly die!" Robin yelled slamming his hands down on the hospital rail.

"It doesn't matter. We need to get Danny back," Raven said speaking for the first time, her expression one of pure determination.

"We can't ponder over what was, we hurt Danny, and now we need to get him back."

"How?" Beastboy asked.

Raven motioned for them to follow. Cyborg silently picking up Danny, and they all headed into the living room.

Thirty minutes later, all of the devices were turned off, candles and incense burning around the room. The Teen Titans all sitting in a circle with Danny resting in the center. His expression one would have when in a deep sleep. Raven took a deep breath and looked to her friends.

"I'm going to pull our spirits into Danny's mind. If you say he's catatonic, then he's not lost. But trapped somewhere, trying to get out, if we can find his real self he'll wake up," Raven said the Titans all nodded.

"Let's do this," Beastboy said, but Raven cut him off.

"However, if we can't find Danny, or if he won't come, we'll be trapped forever in the recesses of his mind so if you don't want to come speak now," she said. Robin met her gaze.

"We're not going to abandon him again," he said and Cyborg, Starfire, and Beastboy all held the same looks. Raven nodded and began to chant, her eyes turning pure white.

* * *

><p>Slade ran through the night, he felt anger and hate boiling in his veins. But sick satisfaction at Danny's demise, even if it meant him losing a valuable apprentice. Arriving at his destination, the man entered his safe house. His mind already planning his next ten moves. But first he needed a new mask. The villain never noticed the red eyes watching him or the way the creature smiled, showing white fangs.<p>

"Interesting," Vlad Plasmius said, he could us this.

* * *

><p>"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" And black magic connected her mind and the Teen Titans, and together their spirits emerged and flew into Danny.<p>

The Titans screamed as they fell out of the big blue sky and landed in a park next to a half set of monkey bars.

"Ouch," Beastboy groaned, getting up and rubbing his back.

"Did we make it?" Starfire asked and the team looked to Raven, who was about to answer when a gasp caught their attention. Looking over to the monkey bars, they gasped when they looked up to a little boy no more than five. With crow black hair and startling blue eyes. Danny Fenton smiled down at them, pure joy on his little face.

"Who are you?" He asked, and after a moment Robin stepped forward and kindly smiled.

"We're the Teen Titans, my name's Robin. And this is Cyborg, Starfire, Beastboy and Raven, who are you?" Robin asked. The child laughed and waved.

"My name's Danny," he said.

* * *

><p>AN: Read &amp; Review<p>

~Rin


	16. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 1

_Lay down your sweet and weary head..._

"_The best of houses glittered and reeked and ran with blood."_

_~Beowulf_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part One

"You guys look really strong," the child said, sitting up on the monkey bars.

"Thanks, you're really strong too you know," Robin replied, but his mind wasn't really focusing on Danny's words. Instead he and the team were having a hard time not being drawn in by the child's presence. For Danny seemed to radiate. His blue eyes so bright they looked like glass had captured the ocean, his pupils holding the waves that crashed around in childish innocence. It was so cliché, but the Titans all thought he looked like a fallen angel.

"What are you guys staring at? Is there something on my face? Jazz says there is, but I can never find it," Danny said his eyebrows scrunching up, Beastboy chuckled.

"Nah, you're fine."

Danny sighed, "Good."

"Why are you here on the bar of monkeys alone, little friend Danny?" Starfire asked walking forward. Suddenly, the innocent face fell.

"Because no one wants to play at this time of day. But Mommy says it's the only time she can get off work down in the basement," Danny answered the reply sounding distraught and well practiced, or perhaps he had just gotten used to stating the facts. Raven stepped forward, her team mates all trying to hide their looks of pain from the child, so he wouldn't pick up on their emotions.

"Then perhaps we could play with…" Raven was cut off when the sound of someone trying to climb caught theirs and Danny's attention. Everyone looked down to see another small boy with mocha colored skin and hazel blue eyes trying to reach Danny.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked no longer paying any attention to the Titans. The boy looked up and frowned.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Tryin' to get to you of course!" the little boy said as he vainly tried to jump.

"Why?" Danny asked bewildered the new boy who let out a puff of air.

"I want to play! Mommy got me a new game, and I want to show you or someone for that matter!" the boy said sitting down on the tiny pebble rocks pouting, his big glasses slipping down his nose.

"O.k.!" Danny yelled, excitedly jumping from the bars and landing on the uneven ground in a thump. His arms failing while he tried to situate himself next to the boy who started laughing.

"What was that? You look like a fish out of water, and I've seen what those look like on TV!"

Danny blushed. "Shut up, at least I can climb."

"Yeah, and not get down. I'm Tucker Foley by the way, which means I'm too fine," Tucker said puffing out in pride while Danny smiled.

"My name's Danny Fenton which means…ugh what should it mean?" He asked and both boys contemplated but eventually gave up. And the Teen Titans watched as Tucker pulled out one of the very first Gameboy systems and a game chip called Doom.

"Oh my gosh, that's the original version of Doom, so cool!" BB exclaimed rushing forward.

"I wanna play!" he yelled excitedly, but Cyborg nabbed him before the changeling could reach the boys.

"Remember, we're here to help Danny, not play video games with him, you little grass stain," he scolded.

"Ah," BB said, but it was at this point the team noticed that the children no longer seemed to know they were there.

"Why does little Danny no longer speak with us?" Starfire asked walking forward and waving her hand in front of the children who kept passing the game back and forth, never once hogging the toy like most might.

"Because this is one of Danny's memories, and we're not a part of it," Raven answered, her hair fluttering in the wind.

"So we could speak to him earlier because Tucker hadn't shown up yet, therefore the memory hadn't started," Robin clarified which Raven nodded.

"For some reason Danny wants us to see this. This moment is important to him, and we need to figure out why."

"Well, he did just make a friend," Beastboy said looking back to the boys who screamed in delight as they reached level three.

"And little Danny did say that his mother's work prevents him from making friends," Starfire added.

"But how will this help us find the real Danny?" Robin asked, a hint of desperation entering his voice. Because none of the Titans could figure out what their friend was trying to show them. Suddenly the wind stopped, and both children looked up from their game in anxiousness.

"Did you hear that?" Danny asked his blue eyes confused.

"It was just the wind," Tucker stated his little voice small and timid, sending all of the Titans on high alert for whatever was about to happen. The noise came again from behind one bush at the edge of the playground. Its sound grating to the ears. Danny suddenly stood, his frame shaking in fear, but he was determined to find out what it was.

"Come on," Danny said to Tucker whose eyes were wide as saucers.

"Over there? Nuh uh, no way, no!" He said, but Danny just grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Tucker, while protesting, never let his friend go, or tried to resist. The children where almost to the bush when the noise stopped, and hesitantly, Danny reached forward and pulled the underbrush away. The crow standing at the base of the tree let out a screech along with the children and the Titans.

"It's a crow?" Robin asked as the team looked to each other in confusion and watched as the boys slowly inched forward.

"Dude, why isn't it moving?" Tucker asked while they stared at the bird that was knee deep in autumn leaves just staring right back at the children. Black eyes calmly surveying them.

"Maybe he's hurt?" Danny suggested moving forward on hands and knees while Tucker stood behind him.

"What are you doing?" Tucker whispered frantically.

"Well, we can't just leave him. Mommy says it's bad for birds to stay on the ground," Danny answered stretching out one tiny hand.

"Hey little bird, do you want some help?" the child asked. The crow only stared before lowering his head. Letting Danny's fingers thread through the sleek black and oil blue feathers. Both kids awed, and the Titans were in shock.

"No bird in its right mind would _ever_ let a human touch him!" Cyborg said his voice painfully loud. Watching as Danny stroked the crow, who waited patiently as the little boy ran his fingers curiously across the silky black wings, until blue eyes spotted something underneath the leaves. Brushing them away, revealed a plastic six pack soda holder wrapped around the crows feet, ensnared on a tree root.

"Tucker, the birdies stuck! Here, help me get him loose," Danny said and quickly Tucker knelt down beside his friend all fear lost, both gently began untangling the crow that never attacked. Even when Danny had to lift him up slightly, or when Tucker had to hold a clawed foot so Danny could rip the plastic apart. It was only a couple of minutes. But for the Titans it felt like hours watching the children work for what they were doing was…impossible. With one final pull, the plastic came free and the instant the crow was free, he soared high in the sky cawing in delight. Circling the boys one time before disappearing into the forest. Danny and Tucker beamed at each other.

"That was awesome!" Tucker screamed.

"I know, I can't believe I got to pet him!" Danny said back, both jumping up and down. Pretending they could fly, when their mothers' voices caught their attention.

"Coming!" Both boys yelled running back to the monkey bars to grab Tuckers small backpack and his red knit hat that had fallen off from the wind. As Danny ran off, Tucker picked up his game on the ground and stared at it for a minute.

"Tucker, come on!" Danny called from the edge of the park, their mothers standing on the hill.

"Just a second!" Tucker said and pulling out the game chip of Doom, the little boy met the Teen Titans eyes.

"Here," Tucker said handing the chip to Beastboy, who could only stare in disbelief.

"W-what why?" He stuttered, and Tucker beamed up at him through his big square glasses.

"Because you said you liked it earlier, right?" the child asked. Beastboy hesitated, wondering how Tucker had heard him.

"Well yeah, but…"

"Good!" Tucker said turning around to head to Danny but as he ran the little boy turned and called back. "Cause you'll need it later!" And with this he met up with Danny and both boys disappeared, leaving the Teen Titans alone in the park. Beastboy spun to face Raven.

"I thought you said Tucker was a memory? Then how the heck did he know to give me this!" BB shrieked waving the chip around. Raven was just as stunned.

"I don't know, but that definitely was a memory. So Tucker shouldn't have been able to see or hear us, let alone give you something." She said.

"Are you sure that was a memory, Raven?" Robin asked looking over to his friend.

"After all, that crow, what Danny and Tucker did is impossible," he finished, but Raven shook her head.

"I'm sure, everything we saw was a memory. It's ironic though," she added, trailing off staring at nothing in particular.

"What is?" Starfire asked but strangely, Cyborg was the one who answered.

"In most legends, crows are believed to be the carriers of spirits, and the guardians and harbingers' of death."

Everyone was silent, Beastboy gazing down at the Doom game in his hand before pocketing it. Everyone jumped when they heard the sound of a school bell ring and looking up the Titans saw a middle school across the street.

"Anybody up for school?" Robin asked, and the team headed forward and through the doors of Spectral Middle School, home of the spectral black cats.

The school was circular in design. All diverging hallways would eventually lead back to the main path. As the Titans waded through the crowds of students who were off in their own worlds, some people seemed to stick out more than others until they spotted Danny. Quickly, the team made their way over to him as he placed books in his locker and again the Titans found themselves staring. For the halfa was twelve and scrawny, wearing baggy blue jeans and red converses, a long light blue shirt fell over his frame, slipping past his shoulders making him appear fragile, his raven black hair messy and unruly. Yet his eyes still held innocence. Danny closed his locker and pulled out his schedule as Tucker joined him from the crowd.

"Hey man, how was your weekend?" Tucker asked his frame slightly broader than Danny's, but instead he wore baggy cargo pants and a red knit sweater, his hat having been ordered off his head much to the adolescent's displeasure.

"I don't know, Tuck, what did we do this weekend?" he asked sarcastically as his friend yanked out his PDA.

"Well, first we kicked some major butt at Doom, and then we watched the horror movies marathon down at the theater for twenty hours straight…"

"My back is still sore from that," Danny cut in.

"Then we settled in and had some of my mom's good old fashioned home cooking!" he finished as the two headed down the hallway towards the cafeteria.

"Tucker, that's all you care about, food."

"Exactly!" The boy said as they sat down with their lunch trays, both teens jumped when they heard a girl scream.

"Run, it's the anti-establishment freak!" a cheerleader yelled and both boys looked up when a girl with ink black hair walked through the cafeteria doors. She was strange, her skin was pale, but not sickly, and she wore black baggy pants with purple lace down the side and a long sleeve black shirt with a skull on it. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and her combat boots were steel tipped, but what most people failed to notice were her eyes, which were the color of amethysts. The girl glared around the room before stalking off to a secluded table with her lunch box to eat.

"Whoa, she could be your sister, Raven," Beastboy said to the girl, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"Man, no wonder Danny was so hostile when he met you, Rae," Cy said. But the team's attention turned back to the boys when the halfa gasped.

"Hey, Tuck, doesn't she seem familiar?" Danny asked never looking away from the girl who was eating quietly in the corner.

"Dude, everyone is familiar, we've probably been with the same people our whole lives and never known it! After all, this town is pretty small," Tucker said eating his ham and Bar-B-Que sandwich.

"Well there's that, but I just know, I got it! We met her in second grade remember? You threw up in that girl's lunch box and told her Rickey Marsh did it!" Danny exclaimed. Tucker who had been taking a sip of his chocolate milk spat it out.

"That was her! She totally pushed him off the monkey bars for that!" he screamed drawing attention to himself from several passing students. The Titans chuckled at the look of terror on his young face.

"C'mon, let's go say hi!" Danny said enthusiastically, grabbing his friend's wrist. Tucker stayed firmly in his seat.

"Meet her? Nuh uh, no way! Did you not see her steel toed boots, she'll totally kill us, and I don't want to add 'got beat up by a girl' to our all ready low social standing. Or to the list of things that happened to me before I kicked the bucket!" Tucker said catching his breath. Danny merely rolled his eyes.

"Oh lay off it, Tuck, she's eating all by herself. Plus, we had a social standing?" Danny asked in amusement. His friend let out a sigh.

"Fine, but only if you promise to _never_ tell her I did that. And yeah dude, our social status is right up there with band geeks*," Tucker said standing up and following Danny who was making his way over to the girl.

"Um hi," Danny said shifting nervously on the other side of the table. The girl let out a frustrated sigh.

"For the last time I'm Goth, not Emo!" she said, nearly yelling at the boys who backed up, palms raised in surrender.

"We never asked that, we only wanted to say hi!" Danny said taking a seat along with Tucker, the girl merely looked shocked.

"Uh, o.k. who are you?" she asked blushing slightly from her outburst.

"I'm Danny and this is…"

"Tucker Foley as in to fine," he said. Both Danny and the girl balked before they burst out laughing.

"Oh, man that's just….ha! I'm Sam Mansion by the way, nice to meet you," she said while Danny got himself under control. Tucker merely smiled unaffected by his friends. The three teens sat in a comfortable silence before Danny could no longer resist asking his question.

"Hey Sam, you wouldn't have happened to be in Mr. Cobb's class in the second grade?" he asked, Tucker visibly paled at his side.

"Yeah, I was the girl who had to wear those dumb pink frilly dresses ugh…" She shuddered while both boys laughed and just like that, the three became friends.

"So, you guys excited about seventh grade?" Tucker asked fading out of existence, the scene before them beginning to shift and bend.


	17. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 2

_The night is falling..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part Two

"Ugh, what's happening?" Beastboy asked feeling dizzy.

"Danny must be moving onto another memory," Raven said stepping forward. Colors and sounds filling their ears until a big burly man's voice echoed around them.

"So Danny, you and your little friends want to hunt ghosts," he boomed, and the Titans found themselves standing in a basement lab. Danny, Tucker and Sam sat in chairs while the big man with black and white hair in an orange jump suit turned to face them.

"Uh, actually, Dad, I want to be an astronaut," Danny said, now fourteen his face thinning out, beginning to lose its baby fat. Showing the workings of a defined bone structure underneath. The Titans moved forward drawing closer to the teens. His frame was hidden in a big white T-shirt with a red oval on it which hung past his shoulders and light wash blue jeans, the infamous red converse still on his feet, his black hair spiky and unruly.

"That man is Danny's Dad? Whoa," Beastboy said in amazement, looking up at the six foot five tall man.

"Sorry, Mr. Fenton, I was into ghosts, but they're so main stream now, kinda like cell phones," Sam said, her hair now in a bob cut pulled into a half ponytail, her shirt cropped above her bellybutton showing toned muscle, she wore a mini thigh black and green stripped skirt with purple stockings and the same style of combat boots, her lips a delicate shade of violet.

"Waste these looks and all this charisma hunting ghosts? Criminal," Tucker stated dressed in a red beret, his black glasses now fitting perfectly, his long sleeved yellow turtle neck shirt hugging his slim frame, green cargo pants being held up by a black belt, his tan army shoes laced up and well used.

But Jack didn't seem to mind the teens disinterest on the subject matter. He merely turned to a lab table and began sorting through the piles of equipment and beakers.

"Well, if you do feel like hunting ghosts, there are a few things you need to learn," he said, and Danny was looking at the floor sighing dejectedly when a blue fog emerged from his mouth.

"What was that?" Star asked watching as Danny sat up straighter and turned to a giant portal.

"It's a ghost portal!" Cy exclaimed the Titans just noticing it as the device opened and from its swirling depths emerged two eco-pusses. Immediately, they grabbed Sam and Tucker preventing them from screaming, while dragging them from their chairs. Danny leapt up and transformed in a flash to fight, leaving the Titans unsure whether to watch Danny, or Jack who began to speak.

"Sure, I've never seen a ghost, but when I do, I'll be prepared and so will you, whether you want to be or not. It all starts with your equipment," Jack said as Danny threw one ecto-puss across the lab, making Sam and Tucker fall back in their seats right as Jack turned around holding out a mechanical thermos. The Titans stared in shock, their mouths hanging open.

"Sam, Tucker, this is the Fenton thermos, it's supposed to trap ghosts," he said turning back around to the table, "but since it doesn't work yet, it's just a thermos." Danny kicked an ecto-puss across the room, back to the portal. "A thermos with the word Fenton in front of it!" Jack said, his son hurtled the other ecto-puss towards the portal. Both ghosts dazed and confused retreated inside of it, the green energy shutting off. Danny transformed back into his human self and jumped ten feet across the room to stand by his friends, panting in exhaustion, when Jack turned and pointed towards the portal.

"And that, that is the Fenton portal. It releases ghosts into our world if I want it to or not and someday, I'll figure out how that works too! Now, who wants to hunt some ghosts?" Jack asked, walking up to Sam and Tucker, who were visibly shaking. Danny vainly trying to catch his breath.

"You kids, look at you! You're too excited to speak, so, I'll just go on speaking," Jack said oblivious to the whole situation, and as the man continued to talk, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beastboy didn't know whether to laugh, cringe or just turn away from the hilarious, but oh so wrong events. The images began to shift, and suddenly the Titans were standing on a stairwell, the large window overlooking the front of the school.

"Casper High School, home of the Ravens," Cy said looking at the sign.

"Is everything here about ghosts?" Beastboy asked when the sound of people approaching caught their attention. Danny, Sam and Tucker all began climbing up the stairs.

"I'm telling you guys, I've only had these powers for a month because of the accident, and I still barely have any control. And on top of that, my parents' inventions won't leave me alone!" Danny exclaimed at the top of the stairs right next to the Titans.

"So, you still haven't told them, have you?" Tucker asked, the teen sighed.

"No. But I think I should," Danny said. Sam let out a huff, her mind having been elsewhere.

"Why? Parents won't listen, and what's worse, they don't understand? Why can't they accept me for who I am?" She screamed both boys stared.

"Sam, I'm talking about my powers, my problems. I promise me and Tuck will hear yours in say about the next thirty seconds."

"Oh, right, sorry Danny." Sam said flushing.

"And what's worse, if someone finds out I go from geek to freak around here," Danny continued not noticing he was beginning to sink through the floor.

"Kinda like what you're doing now?" Tucker observed, Danny let out a scream as Sam and Tuck grabbed his arms and pulled him up.

"Ugh, darn it!" He groaned annoyed and began stomping up the rest of the stairs ranting, Sam, Tucker, and the Titans all following.

"If my Dad could invent something that made me half ghost, why can't he invent something that turns me back to normal?" Danny asked looking down at his shoes while turning intangible, walking straight through a soda machine before turning back.

"Danny, your powers make you unique, unique is good," Sam said trying to cheer her friend up. Looking for a subject change, she suddenly smiled.

"That's why I'm an ultra recyclo-vegetarian." Sam stated.

"Which means what?" Tucker asked walking up, Danny rolled his eyes.

"It means she doesn't eat anything with a face on it."

"Aw, who cares about that stuff. Danny, two words, meat coinsure," Tuck said, bending over and taking a sniff of his friend, "last night, you had Sloppy Joes."

"Impressive," Danny said. Sam gagged.

"Meat heightens the senses, and my all meat streak is fourteen years strong," Tucker said proudly.

"And it's about to end. The school board finally agreed to try a new cafeteria menu, I wore them down," Sam said much to Tucker's horror.

"Wait, what did you do?" Tucker asked. Beastboy snickered, and Cyborg reflected the same look of horror, the bell rung.

"Time for lunch," Danny said and the three walked off, Tucker twitching anxiously. Walking into the cafeteria the Titans saw why, for the entire week the school wasn't going to serve any meat as the three friends took a seat. Danny and Tucker stared down at their lunch.

"Uh, Sam, what is this, grass on a bun?" Danny asked.

"What have you done!" Tucker screamed.

"Tucker, it's time for a change," she said as Danny picked up a forkful of the, well, he didn't really know what to call it.

"Don't you think this is a _little_ extreme Sam?" he asked, before she could reply, an elderly man in his late fifties: bald, overweight, and wearing gray pinned stripped pants, placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Ah, Ms. Manson, the school board wanted me to personally thank you for ushering in this welcome experiment to our cafeteria."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer." Sam replied, but when Tucker sniffed the air and moved forward, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the teacher.

"Meat near…" Mr. Lancer shifted nervously.

"No, no, the rumors about the new, all steak buffet in the teacher's lounge are completely untrue. Thanks again, Sam." Mr. Lancer said before walking off. Tucker was glaring daggers at the Goth.

"Yeah, thanks again for making us eat garbage, _Sam_." The Goth girl glared back.

"It's not garbage it's recyclable organic matter," she said. This time Danny agreed with Tucker after having promptly taken a bite and spitting it back out.

"Its garbage," they both said in unison.

"Friend Tucker and friend Sam remind me a lot of Cyborg and Beastboy," Starfire said chuckling.

"Only Sam's much scarier." Raven stated watching as Sam and Tucker started bickering. None of the group noticed the missing lunch lady or the ghost who replaced her. Danny suddenly gasped, a blue mist escaping his mouth.

"Uh, guys, I've got a problem," he said, both friends instantly straightened.

Mud then slammed into the back of his head an angry voice yelling "Fenton!" Danny turned around, scared.

"Make that two problems," Danny stood staring up a jock with bleach blood hair and a body build that could rival the Terminator.

"Ugh, hey, Dash," the raven haired teen said. The Titans not believing that Danny could act so nervous. Especially since, well, he could probably have beaten the living daylights out of this 'Dash' person.

"I ordered three mud pies. Do you know what they gave me? Three, mud pies! With mud! From the ground! All because of your girlfriend." Dash yelled.

"She's not my girl friend!" Danny said in disbelief.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Sam shot back, but Dash wasn't listening. Instead he grabbed Danny by his shirt and pulled him off the ground.

"These are the best years of my life, after high school it's all downhill for me."

"Well, at least he's a realist," Cyborg said cutting in.

"How am I supposed to enjoy my glory days eating mud?" Dash yelled.

"Actually, it's topsoil," Sam corrected.

"Not helping, Sam," Danny hissed shooting her a look saying_ 'I-can't-believe-you-unintentionally-got-me-into-this.'_

"Whatever!" Dash snapped, throwing Danny back onto the table. He pushed the tray over to the halfa and glared.

"Eat it, all of it," Dash demanded, and scrunching up his nose, Danny raised the spoon to his mouth, when his ghost sense went off and scanning the room the Titans followed his gaze to a lunch lady with green skin moving behind the counter.

"Uh… garbage fight!" Danny screamed throwing the pile of mud in Dash's face.

"I can't believe he did that!" Beastboy howled in laugher, as the students quickly joined in while Danny and Tucker dropped to the floor and began to crawl away.

"It's not garbage, it's…" Sam yelled, but Danny yanked her down and together they moved to the lunch room door. The sigh reading 'no students allowed' they were almost there when Dash yelled.

"You're gonna pay for this, Fenton!"

"Oh great, I'm still his favorite," Danny groaned while Tucker snickered.

"So much for high school being a new start."

The three pushed open the door and looked at the ghost lady floating by the table holding the green salad.

"She doesn't look so bad, she looks a little like my grandmother," Tucker observed, and the three walked in. The Lunch Lady looked up at the teens standing close to the door, warily gazing at her.

"Shouldn't she be haunting a bingo hall?" Danny whispered. The Lunch Lady placed the salad on the counter and floated over to them.

"Hello children, can you help? Today's lunch is meatloaf, but I don't see the meatloaf. Did someone change the menu?" she asked sweetly, smiling at them from where she floated.

"Yeah, she did," Tucker said pointing to Sam.

"You changed the _menu?"_ The Lunch Lady screamed, eyes burning red, her white hair turning to flames. Danny, Tucker, and Sam all gasped, and the Titans jumped as green fire erupted around her, casting the kitchen in hues of blue, as wind began to whip around them.

"The menu has been the same for _fifty years!"_ she screamed and green energy began swirling around the ceiling. The ghost started preparing to attack.

"Get behind me!" Danny ordered, eyes never looking away from the Lunch Lady as Sam and Tucker hid behind him.

"Wow, I feel safe," Sam said sarcastically, Danny ignored her.

"I'm goin' ghost!" he said throwing his arms up as pure white rings formed around him and traveled across his body. The Titans watched in awe, Robin in disbelief, Cyborg had said Danny's transformation was amazing, but this was unreal. Once finished, Danny knelt down and kicked off, flying high in the air stopping in front of the still fuming mad ghost.

"Uh, I command you to go away! Please?" Danny asked nervously.

"How can that be the Danny we know?" Beastboy said pointing up to the teen who looked determined, yet unsure of himself. For this definitely wasn't the Danny they knew, both sides of him. They watched as the Lunch Lady raised her hand and made the dishes rise, flinging themselves at Danny who gasped and turned intangible his outline only visible. The dishes flew through him and crashed into the wall, shattering. Visible once again Danny smiled, but hearing Sam scream he flew into action, legs morphing into pure a black tail, stopping in front of her as dishes soared. He caught them all, balancing them in his arms as the Lunch Lady sent a new wave at Tucker. Danny soared over and caught those and some cups too while his friend smiled. The halfa raced over to the counter top and placed the high stacked dishes back where they belonged. He looked at them for a second before shrugging.

"Well, if this superhero thing doesn't work out, I could have an exciting career as a bus boy," Danny said before jumping as the room began to shake. The three ovens bouncing up and down, the Lunch Lady flaming green.

"I control lunch. Lunch is sacred, lunch has rules!" she screamed. "Anybody want cake?" she suddenly asked, losing her demonic appearance, Sam and Tucker nodded. "To bad! Children who change _my_ menu do not get desert!" And with this the oven doors opened and shot green flames at them, charging forward preparing to crush the teens. Danny grabbed hold of Sam and Tucker, and concentrating, he spread his power out making all three of them intangible. They fell through the wall right as the ovens made contact. The three teens fell into a hallway and stood, the Titans joining them by walking through the same wall.

"Cool, laws of chemistry don't apply to us!" Beastboy said.

"It's physics, dude," Cy stated as Danny smiled broadly.

"Hey, it worked!" he exclaimed.

"This is the thanks I get for thinking like an individual?" Sam screamed. The lights began to flicker as the power cut off and the Lunch Lady appeared, glaring at them madly. Locker doors burst open as meat flew past the teens and stuck onto the ghost's body, covering her until it no longer looked like separate food items, but one entity.

"Where did all that meat come from?" Tucker asked before glaring "Lancer!" he said. The Lunch Lady moved forward, now standing eight feet tall, eyes glowing green and shining through the meat.

"Prepare to learn why meat is the most powerful of the five food groups!" She screamed pointing to Sam. "Cookie?" she asked sweetly, Sam refused. "Then Perish!" the ghost screamed. Danny jumped in front of Sam.

"Oh no, the only thing here that has an expiration date is you!" He yelled pointing to her. Two white rings surrounded his arm, then his body, changing him back to Danny Fenton in a flash. Danny looked to Sam who, stared back.

"Oops, I…uh, didn't mean to do that."

"Ya think?" She said upset as the Lunch Lade threw Danny and Tucker into the locker lined wall, covering them in papers. The ghost grabbed Sam and disappeared down the hallway. Tucker pulled Danny up off the floor.

"C'mon change back! We gotta go!" he screamed in panic. Mr. Lancer suddenly grabbed both boys by the collar.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" he said as Dash walked up behind them, covered in food or possibly mud.

"Told ya you'd pay, Fenton," Dash sneered. The Titans followed as Mr. Lancer led the three teens to one of the discipline offices and sat them down in two chairs. The football jock guarding the door. The overweight teacher went over to the filing cabinet and pulled their records.

"Mr. Foley, tardiness, talking in class, repeated loitering by the girls' locker room." Tucker smirked at that one.

"Danny Fenton, thirty-four dropped beakers in the last month," three guesses why, the Titans thought, "banned for life from handling all fragile school property, but no severe mischief until today. So gentlemen tell me_, why did the two of you conspire to destroy the school cafeteria?"_ Mr. Lancer yelled causing Danny and Tucker to flinch.

"Dash started it, he threw…" Danny tried.

"Four touchdown passes the last game and is thereby exempt from scorn," Mr. Lancer said. "You two, however, are not. I'll map out your punishment when I return. Mr. Baxter, watch the door," the teacher said before leaving. Danny and Tucker stood.

"We gotta find Sam, for some reason I feel like I got her kidnapped," Tucker said. Danny glared at him.

"Maybe because you told the ghost she changed the menu, how 'bout that?" he replied as his techno geek friend began to sniff the air.

"That steak is still in the building, two hundred yards tops," Tuck said watching as Danny walked up to the six different TV's displaying the school grounds.

"Check it out, meat trail in the basement…we have a basement?" Danny asked transforming as Tucker walked up and rolled his eyes.

"Dude, sometimes you're so clueless," he said while Danny grabbed his wrist and phased both of them through the floor, the Titans falling through as well.

"I don't think I'm gonna get used to that," BB said as all of the teens landed in the basement. Tucker and Cy gasped at the box's of frozen meat lining the walls.

"Sweet mother of mutton! I dreamed of it, but I never thought I'd live to see it!" Tucker exclaimed hugging one of the boxes in worship. Danny gave him a funny look.

"How is it I have the ghost powers and you're the weird kid?" he asked when they heard the Lunch Lady laugh. Poking their heads around the corner, they saw Sam trapped in a pile of meat, the ghost holding a chicken leg.

"My dear child, meat is good for kids, it helps them grow, it makes them smile. Why won't you eat it?" She asked the Goth girl who was struggling to get free.

"We don't need meat, that's fat," Sam stated.

"Silence! You need discipline, manners, _respect_. You know where that comes from: meat!" The Lunch Lady screamed before her demeanor changed once more, and she smiled kindly.

"Now chicken, or fish?"

"I'll take care of the ghost. You just find a way to get Sam out of that pile of meat!"

"Dude, I'm way ahead of you," Tucker replied holding up a knife and fork. Danny looked at him.

"I'm not even gonna ask," he whispered to himself, and with this the teen took off after the Lunch Lady, slamming her into the far brick wall as Tucker worked to free Sam.

"I don't get it, why didn't he just blast her?" Beastboy asked watching as the ghost threw him into the wall as he dodged shish kebobs.

"He's not much a fighter," Robin observed as the Lunch Lady roared and all of the meat in the basement flew up towards her, freeing Sam, while creating a ten foot, half ton monster. The ghost grabbed Danny.

"Helps on the way, buddy!" Tucker screamed brandishing his silverware like weapons. The ghost threw the teen through the building leaving the Titans alone with Sam and Tucker who gazed up at the Lady in fear.

"Run?" Tucker asked.

"Run," Sam agreed and both took off screaming. The Titans racing behind them, they headed for the exit, the ghost blocking it with a fist of meat. The teens turned around, sprinting through the labyrinth of boxes, while Danny phased through the wall dazed and confused, holding his head when he heard his friends scream, the monster about to crush them. He shot forward and grabbed both by their waists turning them intangible. They flew through the wall and out of the school. The Teen Titans only had to jog to keep up with Danny flying a few feet off the ground still carrying both his friends.

"Gee Danny, fighting meat monsters, flying through walls, you must be exhausted," She said.

"What? Of course not, what would give you that idea?" Danny said, tail disappearing the three of them hit the ground. Two white rings beginning to emerge, while the memory began to fade into blackness.

"He must have passed out," Cyborg explained as the images began to shift, and suddenly they were in a room painted soft blue, looking around, it was covered in posters of space and NASA. The star charts all mapped out, a rocket sitting on a dresser, drawers pulled open, clothes hanging out of them from not being folded properly, and pictures, one of his family and the other of his friends. Looking out the window, they saw the afternoon light flittering in, clouds making the sun look blue and black instead of fiery orange.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding about wanting to go into space," Beastboy said when Danny appeared on the bed sleeping. Sam and Tucker standing over him. Groaning, the teen jolted awake.

"Where am I? What's going on?"

"You passed out, we took you home. You've been asleep for four days!" Tucker said. Danny shot up from his bed.

"Four days!" he screamed as his friend laughed.

"Naw, it's only been a couple of hours," Tucker answered. Sam glared at him as Danny shrunk back on his pillow, afraid of her wrath.

"Knock it off Tucker, this is the second time today your carelessness almost him killed," she said. Tucker snapped.

"Me? I almost got him killed, the only reason this happened is because _you_ had to be unique, you took the meat away. And I'm gonna get it back," he said walking out of Danny's room, both friends no longer paying any attention to the halfa sitting frozen on his bed.

"You want to change that menu back? You're going to have to go through _me_ to do it!" She screamed, slamming Danny's door closed, storming out of his house. After an awkward moment of silence, Danny sighed and pressed his hands against his eyes.

"I'm sure everything will be back to normal tomorrow," he said and turning over on his side, Danny buried his face in the bed and fell asleep. Robin's eye twitched.

"I don't get it. We've gone from seventh grade to ninth grade. Obviously, Sam and Tucker are his closest friends, he's only had his powers for a month, but why won't Danny show us how he got them? Or why his parents don't know?" he asked.

"Maybe friend Danny wishes to show us this first?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I mean we've watched him destroy buildings with only a flick of his wrist. Perhaps he wants to tell us that it wasn't always like that," Cyborg suggested as the image began to blur, Raven shook her head.

"I think it might be something more than that," she said, but didn't elaborate when Danny walked past them to school where two protests were going on. One was a cook out, dancers on stage dressed as meat, while the other was a grass roots moment, people sitting on blankets playing music, a van that read 'vegetation' painted in green on it. But when Sam and Tucker emerged on their sides and screamed into their mikes, both groups sparked to life to support their different causes.

"Or not, maybe it'll be worse," Danny deadpanned.

"Dude, talk about passionate!" Beastboy said as Sam and Tucker approached their friend. Danny looked at them in disbelief.

"You guys put together two protests in one night?" he said more shocked than confused.

"Meat eaters, Danny, always ready to fight and our high protein diets gives us the energy to do it quickly," Tucker stated matter of factly. Sam countered, glaring at the techno geek and the Titans now knowing where Danny learned to glare so fiercely.

"Ultra- recyclable vegetarians are always ready to protest, and because we don't have to waste time cooking our food, we can move even faster."

Danny looked like a mouse cowering between two angry cats, "Don't you guys think this is a _little_ extreme?"

"No choice buddy, you're either with me…" Tucker said.

"Or you're against him," Sam finished both friends glaring Danny down.

_"So whose side are you on?!"_ They yelled. The teen shrinking back, and in that instant the wind turned violent whipping around the school and protestors as dark black clouds shimmering in green filled the sky and a roar resounded. The meat from the cook off, and who knows where, was gathering until a twenty foot Lunch Lady dressed in meat stood, her acidic green eyes the only visible part of her true form.

"It's Lunch Time!" She yelled, people screamed and tried to escape, and through the chaos Tucker cried, "Meat, why have you betrayed me?" Danny ignored him, his shoulders seeming to square his eyes intensifying.

"Guys, time to make up _now!"_ he hissed, Sam and Tucker came together in a hug, hiding Danny's transformation. The only clue that something was different was the temporary flash in between the two friends, and when they moved away, Danny Phantom stood in Fenton's place.

The Titans watched as Danny dodged the meat monsters attacks, flying around her arm he aimed a kick at the base of what looked like the things neck, and sent it to the ground.

"That's more like it," Cy cheered, smiling as Tucker looked to Sam a grin on his face.

"You know, he really is getting better," he said. Danny, who had been smiling down to them, looked up and frowned when he saw the fist heading towards him. There was loud slap and the teen was flying higher in the sky, disappearing into the clouds Sam ran forward in panic.

"I sure hope he can take a punch!" she said. The group waited, the seconds ticking by and right when the meat monster turned its gaze on the school Danny emerged, barreling towards her fast as a bullet. He slammed into the creature's stomach and the monster exploded, leaving behind a smoking crater.

"Holy!" Beastboy said, unnecessarily dodging the flying meat. Starfire's eyes widened.

"I understand! Friend Danny wishes to show us how his powers came to be!" she realized as they watched the teen drag himself out of the crater.

"How? All Danny's showing us is how his powers are uncontrollable. We don't even know how he got them?" Robin asked scowling.

His arms shaking, the Lunch Lady floated up to Danny, her meat suit destroyed.

"Oh dear, what a mess, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Danny said, rotating his shoulder, winching from the strain of the muscles pulling against bone, "I think so." The Lunch Lady's aura flared.

"Tough! Because you being o.k. is not a part of my balanced diet of doom!" Four miniature meat monsters came together. Snapping Danny back to reality as he sliced them a part with the heel of his shoe in a round house kick. The Titans watched as the monsters reformed, Robin's mind spinning.

"Star, you said we're watching how Danny's powers came to be, but so far all I've seen is the fact that he can turn intangible, fly and has a super strength," he stated, but Star wasn't listening. Instead, she and the others were focused entirely on the battle as the monsters raised their claws.

"Wasn't expecting that," Danny said as two white rings separated his body turning him back to Danny Fenton. "Or that," he added. The monsters grabbed him, and shot high into the air. Danny struggled in their grasp.

"Let me go!" The teen screamed, they continued to climb.

"Danny!" Starfire screamed, the Titans raced after him, rounding the corner of the meat covered school, watching as the meat monsters turned Danny upside down, his blue eyes shining in fear, the ground forty feet below.

"What'll happen if they drop him?" Beastboy asked his voice high, cold sweat running down his temple. The teens stopped running, when up ahead they spotted Danny's parents and a girl with long flaming red hair. They watched in horror as Jack threw the thermos into the air, oblivious to it hitting his son. Then Danny fell. Beastboy panicked, he didn't want to see this.

"What'll happen if Danny falls?"

A small chuckle made the entire team jump, and time seemed to slow down until it froze and turning around, sitting on a picnic table, was five year old Danny. His face filled with innocence.

"What kind of question is that?" Danny asked his baby cheeks turning red from holding back his laughter. At the Titans looks of horror, the little boy clarified.

"I'd die silly, like everyone else," he answered, swinging his tiny legs back and forth. Robin wondered if he too once looked that small, that fragile. Raven calmed her racing heart first and stepped forward, nothing stirred.

"Danny, I will ask you a question. The crow, was that real?" The blue eyes darkened.

"Everything is true."

Robin shook off his fear. "Then are you showing us how your powers came to be?" he asked. The little boy stared at him in confusion before he burst out laughing. Robin couldn't keep the scowl off his face, even though it only seemed to encourage Danny.

"Hahaha, I'm-sorry, haha! It's just, I'm from the wrong time," he finally managed to choke out.

"But you're here man?" Cy said in bewilderment, his heart beating frantically.

"Well…" Danny said his blue eyes holding a spark of sad mischievousness. Moving off of the table, past the Titans, looking straight at his older self still frozen mid air, falling to his doom. The little boy looked back to the five Titans who weren't sure who to look at, him, or the older Danny.

"Danny thought you'd need a little help," he said and in a flash, the little kid disappeared in a gust of wind, and everything came rushing back, the fear tangible as the fourteen year old boy clenched his eyes closed. Desperately holding onto the Fenton thermos.

"Change back, change _back!"_ His eyes began to glow green, and Danny changed. As he phased through the ground, he hastily thanked his father. The Titans felt the ground shift underneath their feet and they were pulled back to the other side of the school where the Lunch Lady floated, Danny glared at her.

"No! Soups not on today's menu!" she screamed, he unscrewed the cap.

"I'm changing the menu, permanently!" Danny yelled before looking at the inoperative device. "Please work," he whispered, before pointing it at the ghost. "I hope I'm right!" And with a burst of white power, Danny engulfed the containment device and pressed the 'on' switch. It hummed to life, before absorbing his energy and firing. The Titans watched as the Lunch Lady screamed, being forcibly dragged into the thermos, and Danny capped the lid smiling, two white rings travelling up and down his body.

"There, it only needed to be charged," he said when Sam and Tucker ran up to him.

"What happened, where's the ghost?" she asked, Danny sighed fondly.

"My parents have their moments," Danny said when a female robotic voice sounded in the distance.

"Ghost, directly ahead, you'd half to be some kind of moron, to not notice the ghost directly ahead," she said, out of the tracking device pointed directly at Danny. His parents looked at him, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry Dad, you just missed him."

"We got a runner!" Jack screamed and both parents took off still covered in meat, leaving behind a very disgruntled Jazz.

"Great, back to square one," she said storming off. Tucker looked back to his friend as Danny let out a sigh.

"So, you're not going to tell them?"

"Nah, I think I might have finally figured out what these powers are for, they make me…"

"…In a world of trouble," Mr. Lancer cut in from behind the teens, he motioned for them to follow. Sighing, the three trailed behind him, leaving the Titans standing in the meat filled grass. Finally, Robin couldn't take it anymore.

"Starfire, what did you mean when you said he's showing us how he developed his powers?" he asked, a twitch in his left eye.

"When you, Cyborg, and Beastboy were taken by the Puppet King and friend Danny lost all of his powers, he explained to us how unlike us, his powers developed out of necessity."

"And that his powers were tied directly to his soul," Raven finished. Robin let out a sigh, and Cy scratched his head.

"So, when he needed to move through the walls and his super strength, everything develops as he grows and fights."

"And why Danny didn't use his glowing green blasting rays," Beastboy chimed, while his friends glared at him.

"But it has to be more than that," Robin said his face scrunching up in contemplation, "even if his powers surface through necessity, it doesn't mean they just randomly appeared. His powers were probably lying dormant. It would explain why each ghost is different."

"Whoa, you guys are smart," Little Danny said cutting in, and the Titans whirled around to see him staring at them with admiration.

"I thought you said you didn't know anything?" Cyborg said annoyed. Danny smiled.

"I don't. I'm from the wrong time, but you guys sure sound smart. And I'll give you a hint, you're on the right track," Danny whispered smiling, eyes alight like an imp.

"So this is all some kind of game, dude? 'Cause it's not fun," Beastboy snapped his hand brushing against the game inside his pocket, the blue eyes flashed in anger.

"There's more going on here than just memories. You need to find me and…" The little boy froze his eyes panicked.

"And what? Danny, what's wrong?" Robin asked bending down, resting his palm on the side of Danny's face. The little child resurfaced and pulled away like the Titan had burned him.

"I have to go," he said quickly and in a flash, he was gone leaving behind five stunned teens.

"What… just happened?" BB asked.

The world began to violently spin and Tucker's voice boomed around them. "Dude, is that a new power?" Colors were bleeding together, and it started making everyone sick.

"What's going on?" Beastboy said his forest green skin turning ashen grey.

"Man, I'm gonna puke!" Cy said before he gagged and forced the bile back down. When from the smoke Danny emerged, his form shimmering until he came into focus, blue eyes warily studying a large glowing green dream catcher, everyone jumped when Danny placed his arm through it, splitting it in two.

"Whoa, this one works, a little too well. I'm filing this under must avoid," Danny said, his parents voices boomed around them as the fourteen year old teen went up in smoke.

"It expunges negative ghost energy."

"Yeah, it's like an Indian dream catcher, only it expunges ghosts instead of dreams you see," Jack explained before he sneezed and the Titans feet hit solid ground. Everyone took a moment to breathe.

"O.k., that invention works, so I'm assuming Danny was telling us that all of his parent's devices work," Cyborg stated, Robin was about to reply when Starfire cut him off.

"Robin, do houses usually have the large signs of neon green?"


	18. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 3

_Out of memory and time..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part Three

The teams' mouths dropped when they looked to the two story brick red house: three levels, if you counted the giant op center bolted to the roof, four and a half, if you counted the basement and the weapons vault. The washed out blue door opened and Danny sprinted down the stairs, his backpack carelessly thrown over one shoulder, a CD in his hand.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" Danny yelled running down the street, not even stopping to wait for a reply.

"Wait till Sam gets a look at this!" The Titans chased after him. Down four streets, two fences, which he jumped with relative ease. All the way to a giant three story mansion.

"Holy!" BB said, but Danny didn't even give pause. Instead he simply opened the backdoor and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Sam, I got you those anti- youth CD's you wanted!" Danny said excitedly. It was then he noticed her pristine parents and one tripped out Grandma. There was an awkward silence as Sam winced, and her parents glared.

"What? Have you heard My Parents Reek? That cut rocks!" If it were possible, her parents' scowls darkened. As Sam argued with them, Danny wandered over to Grandma Ida who was watching TV. It was a commercial for Circus Gothica, and suddenly everyone's voices began to grow distant as the ringmaster spoke.

"Is this like before?" Beastboy asked, but just like that everything snapped into focus and Danny and Sam were outside her house.

"Will you stop messing with my parents, that's my job," Sam glared, her voice hard edged.

"What? Sorry Sam, must have gotten a little spacey. I was up pretty late last night," Danny replied running a hand threw his raven hair. The Titans all sucked in their breath. Sam looked at him with understanding.

"Just watch what you say around them, they already think I'm on the road to troubled teen hood," she said walking down the street.

"Where are you going? School's this way," Danny said pointing in the opposite direction, and Cy had to jump out of the way in order to avoid a hand passing through his chest, everyone chuckled.

"The Circus Gothica train pulled in last night. I'm cutting first period to watch the opening ceremonies."

"Sam."

"Take it easy," she said breezily, "Tucker's got first period free, he's covering for me."

"How…never mind. Don't blame me if you get caught!" Danny yelled affectionately, he waved goodbye as Sam dashed down the street, and Danny turned the other direction. Presumably the one to school. A blue mist escaped his mouth, right before a ghost ran down the street, zooming past them holding a large bag of cash.

"Speaking of getting caught," Danny said and the teen transformed. Instantly taking to the sky along with the dwarf ghost, the sounds of police sirens erupted in the background. And when Danny shot the gold out of the ghosts hand and onto the cop car causing it to crash, the team tried very hard not to laugh at the name Inviso-bill.

"Dude, that's a horrible name!" BB said clutching his stomach out of pain from laughing.

"Obviously, Danny's alter ego's not very popular," Robin stated as Danny mumbled something about needing to get a Publicist .

"He is also beginning to experience the control of minds," Starfire stated.

"And he's shown us his ability to sense ghosts," Cyborg added.

"His powers have progressed as well," Raven finished as they soared through a billboard with Danny.

"He's giving us the information, but without the proper context, there's no way we can understand what it is he's trying to show us," Robin said sighing as they gazed down at the giant black tent, and teens of all ages with the same pallet of clothes and colors were walking about.

"Terrific, the crooks got away, I'm late for school, and…I've never seen so many Goths out in broad daylight," Danny stated. BB snorted, and Raven punched him in the arm as a whole bunch of umbrellas opened.

"Well, look who decided to slum it with the troubled teens," Sam called, Danny joining her on the ground.

"What? I'm not in trouble," Danny replied defensively, the sirens were heard and the halfa promptly turned invisible.

"Oh, yeah, you're an upstanding citizen. Need to hide from the law?"

"No," Danny embarrassingly said as he jumped behind the barrels and transformed back, him and Sam whistling as the cops ran by. None even caring that two teens were apparently skipping class.

"Thanks, Sam."

She smiled at Danny, and the doors to the train opened and Freakshow emerged.

"Greetings, fellow outcasts!"

The opening ceremony went by in a flurry of amazing displays, until Sam's parents decided to boycott it as an, '_offense to the morals of our children.'_ And the last thing the Titans heard was Freakshow's voice, "Show them your true colors, and when I say colors, I mean all black! Make them see you for who you are." And the only thing Danny and the Teen Titans could see was the glowing red orb balanced on the bat.

"Danny's been sucked in to Freakshow's commands!" BB said, his voice sounding small and timid.

"Is this what it was like? To be controlled?" Robin asked looking over to his green friend and he watched as the changeling shuddered.

"But, Beastboy only turned into a drooling mess. So why is this important?" Starfire asked.

"Maybe Danny's just tellin' us that he can relate," Cy answered, but the blackness around them shuddered and a sense of foreboding overcame all of them, and the next words they heard were from Sam.

"I'm looking for my friend."

There was a muffled reply and a half crazed laugh.

"What are you doing, you dolt? Get out there and do your encore!"

"Sam?" Danny asked and everything snapped into focus, and the team gasped at their friends' appearance.

"Whoa, and I thought you looked scary Rae." Beastboy said. And for once the girl could agree. For Danny was dressed in a long pitch black robe, the giant scythe resting ominously, his glowing aura surrounding him like the god of Death.

"Danny?" Sam breathed in relief, it was short lived.

"What is that? Is that free will? Obey me, minion!" Freakshow commanded and as the world began to blur, they watched as Danny's eyes turned blood red. The hood coming around his face, letting only his eyes show.

"What, you're controlling him?"

"Get her." Through the haze they watched as Danny raised his scythe, Sam screamed.

"This is horrible! That monster can command friend Danny!" Starfire exclaimed, everything beginning to spin.

"Danny, don't do this!" Sam pleaded.

"I want you to rob this bank for me, my pets," Freakshow yelled laughing.

"Oh and Danny, bring me something flashy," the clown added as an afterthought. Cyborg closed his eyes and turned his head away from the image of that monster's face. The world stopped spinning and everyone was on the roof of a train. Tucker pinned, Freakshow growling, and Sam, standing on the edge of the train as Danny gazed at her while he held the staff in one gloved white hand.

"Bring me my staff, come on. Che, che," Freakshow cooed, calling Danny like a dog. Sam cut him off.

"I saw you on that high wire. You were fighting him the whole time. Fight him now, Danny. You're not just a ghost, fight him!" she pleaded. Phantom clutched his head painfully, red eyes burning.

"Quiet, all of you! I need to think!"

"Stop her! Now!" Freakshow commanded and Danny's form trembled at the order. The train was crossing a canyon, the river far below.

"Well, it's the crystal ball, or your friend, Danny. Your choice," Sam said as two of the ghosts approached her, Sam's foot slipped off the edge.

"I didn't mean that to be so literal! _Ahhh!"_

"Sam! No, Sam!" Tucker screamed as she fell.

"Sam…_Sam!"_ Danny cried, and he flew after her letting go of the staff to catch his friend, and when the crystal smashed at the bottom, the Titans watched as red eyes, turned glowing green.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked clinging to him desperately, but her relief was clear.

"I think so, it's all a blur. I did some bad stuff, didn't I?"

"Nothing you can't fix."

The image shifted and Sam, Tucker and Danny were all sitting in his room around the computer screen watching the news stream live. The reporter's voice filtering through.

"…And in other news, all the valuables stolen from two museums and three banks by Inviso-bill are finally being returned." Danny shut off the monitor and slammed his head on the desk.

"Dude, you really need a publicist."

"That's not the point Tuck. Thanks to Walker, I was framed and made Public Ghost Enemy No.1, and now thanks to Freakshow, I just proved all of them right!" Danny said growling in frustration. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll make it right, and you heard Tiffany, everything stolen is being returned."

"Yeah, you'll be fine, plus if you're ever short on cash…" Tucker wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sam hit Tucker in the back of his head, Danny smiled lightly.

"Thanks guys, it's getting pretty late."

With a silent nod he bid his friends good night and closed the bed room door with a soft click. The team surrounded him, as Danny just stood there, letting his head rest on the wood, a hand still on the brass doorknob.

"_Slave!_ Center ring."

"I'm so glad you could join us, not that you had much of a choice! Haha!"

Danny shuddered his blue eyes piercing. He turned away and disappeared into smoke, the metal door knob dented. The team was silent, standing in the room until finally a thought occurred to Robin.

"Sam said Danny was different, she must have meant that he is half ghost. But how is that possible?"

"We need to list what we know," Raven said taking a seat on the desk. Cyborg began.

"One, Danny's only half ghost. Two, his powers are tied directly from his soul, and so far he's shown us his first fight with the Lunch Lady and now Freakshow."

"But friend Danny has changed. He was much more in control of his powers," Starfire said. Robin walked forward and picked up the calendar.

"That's because he was, this happened months after the battle with the meat monster." Robin said.

"But how does this help us?" Beastboy asked. Robin let out a sigh.

"It doesn't, like I said earlier, Danny is giving us all the facts, but without some sort of structure we have no way of understanding and interpreting what he's trying to tell us."

The group slumped in defeat. Beastboy's ears drooping, shoving his hands into his pockets, he felt his hand brush against the game. Quietly, he pulled out the little chip labeled Doom, the changeling's eyes widened.

"We do have an outline!" he screamed waving the game back and forth.

"Here, move over Rae!" Beastboy said, shoving her off the desk to look for a plug in place on the computer.

"Beastboy, I don't think…" Robin started, but right then the chip found a port, and the computer screen hummed to life. BB grinning like a maniac. The content screen popped up.

"Okay, it says here were on level twenty," BB said scanning through the levels.

"Geez, a lot of them are labeled fruitloop," Cy said, looking over B's shoulder.

"We'll figure that out later. Right now, take us to level one," Robin said. Beastboy scrolled up and clicked. The screen flashed and the Titans found themselves sitting at the computer screen down in the lab.

"What?" Cy said, "we're practically back where we started!" he screamed.

"Guys!" Raven cut them off, before the yelling started. Everyone looked at Sam taking a picture of Danny standing by the portal holding a white and black hazmat suit.

"Okay, I showed you the portal. Can we get out of here now? My parents could be back here any minute," Danny worriedly said as Tucker and Sam walked up to him.

"Besides, they say it doesn't work anyways," he offhandedly added. Sam moved to stand in front of it. The steel mouth looked like it was trying to swallow her whole.

"Come on, Danny, a Ghost Zone, aren't you curious? You gotta check it out," she said, Danny looked up to the portal as well, a smile crossing his face.

"You know what, you're right. Who knows what kind of awesome, super cool things exist on the other side of that portal," Danny put on the white and black suit, zipping it up. Jack Fenton's face blazing across his chest.

"Hang on a second," Sam said walking forward and tearing off Jack's face. "There…well… wait, I got it!" And both boys watched as Sam ran off and grabbed one of Jack's suits cutting off the black sleeve and styling it into a letter D a smaller P on the inside.

"Here, trust me. It looks better than having that on your chest," she said slapping the symbol onto Danny's chest and throwing Jack's face in the trash. The Titans watched as Danny headed into the portal, it was then the realization hit them.

"No," Beastboy whispered. Everyone heard a click. Green ectoplasm and electricity blasted free, and Danny screamed, covering the up the voices of his panicking friends. The memory of the theater when Phantom got his powers back, it was the same blood curtailing sound. And horrified, the Titans watched as Danny stumbled out of the portal cradling his left hand: black hair turned white, crystalline blue eyes now glowing green, and the white and black jump suit now black and white.

"Danny, you're a ghost." Sam breathed.

"What? But that means I'm dead!" Danny screeched his eyes bright with panic, but when he threw up his arms, two white rings formed and before they knew it, Danny was human once more.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Tucker screamed in excitement getting over the shock. But also checking to make sure his friend did indeed, have a pulse. It was as the two boys were talking about what had just happened that Sam ran over to the screen and looked directly to the Titans.

"You need to hurry. Danny can't maintain this place for much longer," she informed them, her form beginning to flicker.

"What do you mean?" Robin demanded the team running up to her.

"You said you needed to know what Danny is, in order to understand everything he's showing you, well cognates, you figured out how he got his powers. But Danny can't maintain this all access pass to his memories forever. And there's still so much you don't know," Sam said, hurriedly scrolling through the levels typing in cheat codes.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked. Sam turned her glare at them, amethyst eyes burning.

"Look, all you need to know right now is that Danny is what's called a halfa. He's half human, half ghost. And he's unheard of in the Ghost Zone and unimaginable in the Human Zone. What he is, is impossible."

"Yet he exists," Raven said, to this Sam nodded.

"Yes, but it's more than that. And there's more going on here. Please save him, time isn't on your side," she finished and with this she pressed the enter key, and the screen flashed the second she disappeared into smoke.


	19. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 4

_White shores are calling..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part Four

"Danny, this is becoming a problem," Mrs. Fenton suddenly said, as Danny looked at his feet trying not to disappear into the couch. The same red head girl from earlier sitting in the chair next to him reading a giant text book.

"You're shirking all your chores," Jack added leaning over a giant green, half completed machine.

"Your grades are slipping," Mrs. Fenton stated.

"You're shirking from your chores," Jack chimed.

"You already said chores," Danny cut in.

"I know, but when you don't do them, I get stuck with them," Jack deadpanned.

"Look, I'm under a lot of pressure. You two have no idea what it's like to be a kid these days." All of the Titans silently agreeing.

"Come on Danny, that's the oldest excuse in the book. There's nothing you're going through that your father and I didn't go through when we were your age," Mrs. Fenton said not noticing as her sons arm turned intangible and fell through the couch before he managed to get control of his powers.

"Yeah, well I beg to differ," Danny muttered in defeat. It was then the red head snapped her book shut.

"The reason Danny doesn't think you can relate to him is that you never take the time to tell him about your childhood."

Danny flinched at the very psychiatric approach.

"Jazz," Danny growled out.

"Have you ever told them how you two met, or your first date, where you went to college?"

"Jazz!" Danny nearly yelled his eyes temporarily flashing green while their parents pondered over their daughter's words.

"You know Jasmine that's a great idea!" Jack exclaimed.

"It is?"

"What is?" Maddie asked.

"This is!" Jack yelled holding up a piece of paper that read 'twenty year college reunion' in Madison, Wisconsin. Danny face palmed, while Jazz looked horror stricken.

"You can come with your mother and me to our college reunion. Our old pale Vlad is throwing a huge shin dig there. We'll take the RV so the whole family can go together. You can learn more about your mother and my college days and while we drive, I can blabber on about ghosts!"

"Ugh," Danny shuttered and trudged up to his room, whipping out his cell phone to dial Sam and Tucker.

"Hey, Danny."

"What's up, dude?"

Danny closed his door and flipped on the lights.

"Hey guys, we have a small problem. My Dad's dragging the whole family to his and Mom's college reunion, and I can't get out of it."

"So you need us to cover you on the ghost patrols this weekend," Sam stated.

"Yeah, do you still have that extra Fenton Thermos and small ecto wrist rays?"

"Yeah, we're cool, so why are you even going? Were you late getting home again?" Tucker asked. Danny groaned, flopping down on his bed.

"Yeah, to make a long story short, these three vulture ghosts were messing around, apparently lost, they asked me for directions to find and 'peck to death,' get this, my Dad."

"_What!"_ Both teens exclaimed on the other lines.

"Yeah," Danny said pulling out a torn picture of his father from his younger days.

"They didn't say why, but it doesn't matter. I kicked them out of town. Oh, and there Transylvanian accent really stunk," he added before a blue mist escaped his mouth.

"Hey, I gotta go," he said, and with goodbyes, he hung up and grabbed a Thermos from underneath the bed. Everything shuddered as Jack's voice echoed around them.

"Get some rest everybody! I want the entire Fenton clan bright eyed and bushy tailed when we meet Masters tomorrow."

"Wait, Masters? As in Vlad Masters, who was named Affluent Magazines second billionaire of the year next to Bruce Wayne?" Jazz said in disbelief as the Titans landed in the Fenton RV where Danny and his family were trying to sleep.

"That's the guy, in college Vlad was my best friend. We were very popular guys, roommates, lab partners, we did everything together. Until, the thick fingers of fate stuck them right in Vlad's eyes. We were working on a proto portal, and when I turned it on, the thing over loaded and Vlad got blasted right in the face. He was hospitalized with a horrible case of ecto-acne. It devastated him, and killed his social life. We haven't spoken since that day. But the good news is after all these years, I think he's finally forgiven me," Jack said before he turned over to sleep.

The image shifted and suddenly Danny was standing right next to the Titans as Vlad Masters opened the door to his gold and green castle. Every one of the Titans cringed, all of them remembering the pure look of hatred in Danny's eyes. Only now, none of that was present.

"What did Vlad do to make Danny hate him?" Cyborg asked.

"We're about to find out," Robin stated as the silver haired billionaire opened his arms and smiled.

"Jack, and Maddie, you've never looked lovelier my dear. Please, please come in." The Titans, Maddie, Jazz and Danny all walked in, and the door slammed shut in Jack's face.

"O.k. harsh," BB said and Danny looked questioningly to Vlad.

"What's with the green and gold, you're a billionaire. Surely you could afford an interior designer," Jazz remarked all the guys in the room sighed.

"Jazz, hello? Football helmets, jerseys, cheese heads, this guys a Packer's fanatic," Danny said. Vlad placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, and the group waited for him to tense. Nothing happened.

"Hello?" Jack called from outside, the family suddenly remembering he was not in the room.

"Oh fanatic is such a negative word but yes, I am," Vlad said walking further into the house.

"But I don't understand, you have _billions_ of dollars. Instead of buying this stuff, why don't you just buy the team?" Jazz asked.

"Because the Packers are owned by the city of Green Bay, and they won't sell them to me!" Vlad snapped before his calming demeanor returned once more, and he looked longingly at Maddie.

"One, of two things my wealth has of yet, been able to acquire."

Maddie smiled and mumbled something about letting Jack in. Jazz looked disinterested, and Danny and the Titans looked a little grossed out.

"Is he hitting on Mom?" Danny asked to his sister.

"As long as he's got working toilets, and Mom says no, who cares," Jazz said walking away.

"Oh, that's just wrong!" Cyborg yelled forgetting they couldn't hear him.

Danny was about to head upstairs when a signed football caught his eyes.

"Whoa, cool!"

"Indeed," Vlad said joining him, picking up the football, "this ball was autographed by the legendary Ray Nitchky himself. It's my prized possession."

"Heads up, V-man!" Jack screamed before barreling into the gentleman and knocking him to the ground.

"Ha, I see you still got the old moves!" Jack said standing up with the ball. Vlad glared before he snatched it away.

"Give me that! I never had any old moves. All those years in the hospital robbed me of that!"

Dead silence. Vlad sighed.

"Yes, well it gave the time to chart out a course for my life. Make some decisions that helped to make me very wealthy, very quickly, and it never would have happened without you, Jack."

"Uh, yeah maybe we should go," Maddie said picking up on the strange atmosphere, but soon Vlad put her and Jack at ease. He showed them to their rooms. The images began to blur and soon the team landed in Danny's room as he woke up to blue mist pouring from his mouth.

"Ah, just what I need, a working vacation," he said transforming and flying through the hallways. Soon he saw the three vultures, and his Dad sleep walking. Danny pulled his father through the floor before rejoining the birds, who were staring at the carpet in confusion.

"Hi guys, remember me?" Danny said, his voice echoing. The birds took one look at him, screamed, and flew away.

"Okay, that was almost too easy."

"Ah, bright boy," A ghost sneered, the team gasped when Plasmius appeared, and they got there first true look at the evil ghost. His skin was ice blue, his eyes blood red and his hair black and spiked, just like his tongue. The man's white cape floated around him. Broadening his shoulders and making him look like a dark, white king. And he easily swatted Danny away like a fly.

"My vultures were supposed to bring the big idiot to me, but you'll do. Danny Phantom, right?"

Danny stood and gazed up at the still floating ghost who hadn't moved a muscle.

"You, you know me?"

"Of course I know you!" he said disappearing into the wall. Danny followed him into the musty library.

"You're the ghost boy who uses his powers for _good_. Oh, quaint. Aren't you going to try and shove me into your ridiculous thermos?" Plasmius sneered, and the Titans shuddered as Danny realized what he truly was up against.

"I-I don't want to fight you."

"No, no you don't," he smirked and the ghost attacked, throwing a plasma ray right in the center of the teen's chest.

"Get away!" Danny screamed throwing a green ecto-blast. A simple shield absorbed the attack, and the ghost smirked.

"So, year one. Tell me child, can you do this yet?" he said multiplying into four.

"No. I can't. How are you doing all this?" Danny asked backing away as the four ghosts loomed over him.

"_Years of practice, which you unfortunately have no time for," _they said and fired. Danny fell through the doors and transformed back, the world turning black.

"He must have passed out," Robin said.

"No, get away!" Danny screamed jolting awake in bed the bruises and scrapes having already healed. The teen looked around in confusion.

"Where am I, what happened?" Danny asked as the door to his room opened.

"I was going to ask you the same question, dear boy," Vlad said walking in with concern on his face. A slight tilting of his mouth showed otherwise. Danny didn't notice.

"I must have been worn out from the long car trip. I'll be fine in the morning. Sorry for the scare."

"Oh, what's a little scare between friends? Sleep tight, little badger," Vlad said leaving the room. Danny smiled before going back to sleep.

It was the night of the reunion and guests were pouring in while Danny sulked at a table watching old people do the pogo. Vlad joined him.

"Well, son, you're looking much better. I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?"

"Oh, sure Mr. Masters. But call me Danny, son is what my Dad calls me."

"Oh, yes, yes of course. Now could you go to my lab, second door on the right upstairs. There's a present in there for your father that I'd like you to bring down."

"Okay," he said happily and with this Danny left. The Titans following him silently, the metal door sliding open.

"Present, I don't see a present." Danny mumbled, glancing at a picture on the desk. Dread swept through all of them as he lifted it up. It was one of Vlad, Maddie and Jack, only completed when Danny added the missing piece the vultures had forgotten.

"No way," Danny denied until a blue mist escaped. Transforming, the teen fought off two ecto- pusses.

"Those ghosts were some of the very first ones I fought."

"And there not alone, punk!" A giant mechanical ghost with flaming green hair said. The Titans immediately recognized him.

"Skulker? How did you get back in your ecto-skeleton? What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"All excellent questions, catch!" Skulker said rolling a black box across the floor. It expanded and trapped the teen to his neck.

"I can't phase out of this, it's disrupting my powers?"

"And that's not all it does," Skulker pressed a button, and Danny screamed as volts of electricity tore through his body turning him back. The mechanical ghost walked forward and grabbed the teen by his raven hair, a machete sliding free from his other arm.

"Uh, heh, the glowing blade is new," Danny said nervously, Skulker smiled excitedly.

"You like it? I've had some upgrades! Now…"

"Enough! I didn't free you to kill the boy, Skulker. Your work is done," Vlad ordered walking in.

"Yes, well I…ugh, I've got to…go check out a book on the purple back gorilla. Again!" The ghost exclaimed before disappearing leaving the two humans alone.

"Skulker, the ecto-pusses, I…I don't understand?" Danny said bewildered.

"Of course not, you're like what, fourteen? Too young to drive and not in college yet. I sent those ghosts and others, to test your fathers' skills. Imagine my surprise when I find _you_. The second ghost hybrid his foolishness created," Vlad said.

"Second?"

As Vlad transformed, the Titans understood, and Danny screamed,

"Let me out!"

"Why? So you can go back to stumbling through your adolescence, desperately trying to gain control of your powers? Powers, by the way that I've had for twenty years. I have experience my child, and the money and power obtained through using those powers for personal gain, you see. _I could train you, teach you everything I know_ and all you have to do is renounce your idiot father," Vlad Plasmius said, his fangs glistening.

"Dude, you are one seriously crazed up fruitloop, that is never going to happen," Danny stated, and the Titans now knew who the teen meant when he said fruitloop.

"Yes, well once your father is out of the way, we'll see how you feel," Plasmius said disappearing in a swirl of green energy.

Everything seemed to move in double speed, the appearance of the Dairy King, letting Danny go, to him knocking Plasmius out of his father's body, throwing them back into the library.

"Daniel, stop. Think of the things I could show you, the doors I could open for you. You, Danny Phantom, and I, Vlad Plasmius, together we could rule."

"Forget it pal, your money can't buy my mom, it can't buy the Packers, and it can't buy me," Danny said firing again. Plasmius redirected the blast and a shield formed around Danny.

"That shield is the one Danny used to protect me and Raven!" Starfire exclaimed.

"This must have been the first time he needed it," Cyborg said.

"I know who you are, I'll tell my father, I'll tell everyone."

"And so will I. Honestly, if you expose me, you expose yourself," Vlad stated, and it was then the honking of the Fenton RV could be heard as it came barreling into the library sending stone, and books flying.

"Mind if I cut in?" Vlad said snatching Maddie.

"Let go of me!"

"Never again, woman."

"Maddie!" Jack screamed, and everything moved faster, Danny driving the RV. Firing until Vlad was drenched in ectoplasmtic goo and when he overshadowed his father in order to save his Mom. It made the Titans heads spin.

Danny walked up to Vlad in Jack's body a smirk on his face.

"How's it going V-man?"

"Ooh, you've overshadowed Jack. Ooh, I'm so sacred now what's next? A card trick?"

"Listen to me, I swear I'll walk out of my Dad right now and expose us both unless you agree to a truce."

"You're bluffing," Vlad spat. Danny sat him on the ground.

"No, I'm not. My parents will accept me no matter what, but if I expose you, well what will my _Mom_ think of you?"

Vlad flinched and bowed his head. "You'll be miserable and alone for the rest of your life unless you call a truce."

A malicious smirk came across Vlad's face.

"Using your opponent's weaknesses against him. I am teaching you something after all very well, truce. Eventually, you will join me by choice, you and your mother, but for now…"

And with a cough, Vlad flew high in the air and screamed.

"Curse you, Jack Fenton, your world renowned expertise of all things ghosts, has defeated me! Until next time, _son_…Ahhhhh!"

The scene shifted and Danny was standing off to the side glaring at Vlad as the man bid the Fentons goodbye from his mansion. Jazz, though, looked up to the Titans a pleading look in her eyes before everything went up in smoke.

The team landed in Danny's room with Tucker and Sam sitting on the bed, Danny by the window.

"I just want to know where Valarie got all that ghost hunting equipment."

"I don't know, but she looked pretty hot," Tucker said dreamily, Sam punched him in the arm, before she spoke.

"That's not the point, Tucker. Valarie's the Red Huntress now, and she's hunting Danny Phantom because of her misguided notion that he ruined her life, and that he's evil incarnated. He doesn't need another person to hate him! The entire town already thinks he's a villain thanks to Walker and his goons, and all the other ghosts he has to fight day and night. Or have you forgotten also that Danny's own parents are planning on ripping him apart molecule by molecule?"

Tucker looked ready to argue when Danny turned around his eyes flashing green.

"Guys enough, we don't need this. Look, I understand you're worried for me, but don't worry. I can handle Valarie, I'm just worried about her. She has no idea what she's getting into."

"Do you think Vlad has something to do with it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since the reunion," Danny said before turning back to the window.

"You guys should go, it's getting late. Thanks for helping me patrol," Danny said smiling his goofy smile. Tucker placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No problem dude, and hey, call us if you need anything," Tuck waved goodbye, Sam gaving him a quick hug whispering in his ear 'you know we'll always be here for you.'

The images began to shift and Vlad's voice surrounded them, _"I'll give you a five minute head start."_And suddenly they were in a forest, Danny running desperately through the trees.

"_It's called the Plasmius Maximus. It has just short circuited your powers for the next three hours. That's midnight."_

The teens' foot caught on a knot in the ground. Danny let out a yelp as he tumbled down the hill and landed in a small clearing, but he quickly rose. The leaves crutching underneath his feet and sweat trickled down his face. It was so dark. None of the group could see ten feet in front of them. Danny let out a breath.

"Calm down, Fenton. Mom set up camp underneath Cancer's constellation, I just have to…"

The air grew colder, and Danny froze, anxiously looking around. The leaves became cast in a green hue. In less than a second Danny turned around, bear claws were coming towards him. It was pure instinct to defend, instead of dodge. But the Titans knew Danny couldn't move quickly enough. So they watched as the teen flinched and raised his arms to protect his face and chest. One of the bears' claws tore through his flesh from elbow to wrist in his right arm. Flinging him twenty feet back and into an old oak tree. Danny screamed as he held his arm and rolled, avoiding the bear that was barreling towards him. The thing smashed into the tree. Its scream echoing, and the tree fell. But the halfa was long gone, and the Titans were running beside him.

"_These are my latest experiments, what do you think?"_

Danny's blood looked black in the light, and his feet kept slipping on the leaves. The ghost wolves started howling in the night.

"_Oh, that's right, who cares what you think."_

"There's no way he can escape these ghost animals!" Robin screamed, unnecessarily dodging a tree.

"He's bleeding to heavily, his scent is everywhere," BB said his nose twitching. Just then Danny came to the edge of the tree line. It gave way to a ditch and large creek, the water flowing freely. The pounding of claws reached their ears, and Danny didn't hesitate, he jumped, and tumbled down the muddy and rocky edge. The Titans followed as he waded out into the freezing cold water. Hastily washing the blood off, letting it run with the current. The howling grew louder, and Danny sprinted to the other side. Pulling off his muddy no longer white shirt and wrapped it around his arm covering the gash. He hid behind a fallen tree just as the green glow reached the tree line. Danny didn't even breathe. The earth went up in smoke and the Titans lost their footings. They all screamed until they landed back in Danny's bedroom, hard.

"Ugh, what happened?" Beastboy said rubbing his back.

"Everybody okay?" Robin asked.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, opened the door, carrying Danny.

"Guys, I'm fine," Danny said protesting weakly.

"Dude, you just fought an entire army of ghosts and you've been dragging civilians into the ghost shield for the past four hours, you need to rest," Tucker said worriedly before he went to the computer and logged onto Amity Parks emergency broadcast.

"Tucker's right, Danny. You and Valarie both need to rest," Sam said.

"And speaking of Valarie, did you three figure out why she was wearing that strange ring?" Jazz asked as Danny collapsed onto his mattress.

"It's called the Ring of Rage. It belongs to Pariah Dark, king of all ghosts. Before the Ancients sealed him away into the coffin of forever sleep. Vlad, being the fruitloop that he is, wanted its power for himself, but the ring only works with the Crown of Fire. So, he woke the king up, couldn't defeat him, hid the ring by giving it to Valarie who now thinks Vlad's a good guy, and now I need to go tell him to stop this mess because he's putting innocent lives in danger," Danny ranted standing up.

"No, Danny, what will you gain by talking to Vlad?" Jazz asked pleadingly.

"I have to try Jazz. Besides, the quicker we solve this mess the quicker he can get out of this house. I can barely think, knowing that he's sleeping in the next room."

"Well, whatever you do, you need to do it fast," Tucker said looking out the window at the dome covered city.

"How the heck did we never hear about this?" Robin said as he looked at the terrible sight of the ghost soldiers frozen right outside the dome. Danny walked to the window and Sam joined him, intertwining their fingers solemnly.

"Man, this Vlad guy sounds worse than Slade," Cyborg said.

"He is." Everyone jumped when Jazz spoke, and the group turned to see her sitting on the bed, her gaze unwavering.

"Look, I don't know who Slade is, but you need to understand exactly how dangerous Vlad really is. He's ruthless, and he's not afraid to use anyone as his pawns. He used Valarie, and he's used me," she said her eyes pained.

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"At this fight, Danny fought Pariah Dark with our parents' ecto-suit. It increases the wearer's strength onehunderdfold, but it disappeared right after the fight. My baby brother nearly died saving our town and cleaning up Vlad's mess. The man stole the suit, and then later he forced me to wear it with bloodstream nano-bots in my system, and _ordered_ us to fight to the death. If Danny refused, I died, and if I didn't fight, Vlad would still destroy me," Jazz's voice shook, but she continued.

"He places you in the impossible situation. It was the main reason why Danny never told our parents that he was half ghost. Why he let the bounty stay on his head, why he let Valarie, the GiW, and our own parents hunt him. Because if they found out, there wouldn't be any reason for Vlad not to outright kill Dad and me, and force Mom and Danny to live with him."

"And how do you know that for a fact?" Robin asked his gaze stern, but Jazz smiled.

"Well, let's just say Danny bent reality once, and even though Mom and Dad accepted him…Sam, Tucker and I, we all knew. And so did Danny, Vlad won't stop."

The ground shook between their feet.

"What's happening?" Starfire screamed as the buildings outside collapsed.

"Danny can't keep this up anymore. C'mon, I have to get you to the next level!" Jazz screamed as her form began to flicker. And as she typed furiously, Robin couldn't help but look to the three friends standing by the window talking, oblivious to the danger around them.

The back wall blew out then and pitch darkness howled around the Titans, trying to suck them in. The computer screen hummed to life, and Jazz pressed enter. The memory trying to load, she turned to them with tearful eyes.

"Please…save….brother….get to…" But the wind was too loud and in a flash the Titans were gone, falling through the ceiling of Danny's bedroom into his apartment at Jump City.

The Titans were gasping for air.


	20. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 5

_Why do you weep..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part Five

"What just happened?" Robin asked standing up, noticing that Danny was asleep in bed.

"I don't know. It was like his memories were falling apart," Raven said, and the team grew silent.

"Is that even possible?" Cyborg asked.

"Friend Sam did say that this 'all access pass' was very hard to maintain," Starfire said. Robin frowned.

"It doesn't matter, we need to go back. We're too far forward and there's no way…"

"But what if we can't go back?" Raven asked her violet eyes hard.

"Remember, we're not here to shift through Danny's memories, we're here to find him. Prying into his life is not helping us."

"But if that's the case, why is Danny still willing to show us all this?" Cyborg asked.

"What are you five doing in my room?" A cold voice sounded, and the team froze, whirling around to see Danny sitting up in his bed glaring at them.

"Danny, is that you? Have we finally found you?" Starfire exclaimed, but as she ran forward, Robin held her back.

"No Star, that's not him. Look at his wounds."

And it was then the teens looked down and noticed red stained gauze wrapped loosely around his torso and left arm. The halfa stood, and they noticed one foot was wrapped as well.

"His injures are consistent to when I found him at his bookstore, right after the fight with the fire monster," Raven said.

"I said what are you doing here?" Danny snapped again taking a menacing step forward, Robin met his gaze.

"We don't have time for this. Look, we know you're Phantom."

Danny froze for half a second before he laughed.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You have to listen to us. We know how you got your powers, we know about Vlad, and right now, we're doing are hardest to save you!" Robin said the urgency in his voice stopping Danny cold. Silently he appraised the rest of the team before his eyes widened at the realization that they were telling the truth.

"Alright, what are you trying to save me from?" Danny asked shifting his weight off the burned leg. Robin sighed in relief.

"We were fighting Slade down in his lair. He'd black mailed you and me into serving him. Everyone," Robin gestured to their friends, "came to stop him. Slade was going to kill them. I asked you to defend me as I infected myself with the same bloodstream nano-bots. I didn't realize that what I asked had hurt you," Robin said bowing his head as Danny shuddered, blue eyes hardening. The leader turned his gaze back to his friend.

"By the time we realized what had happened, you were half catatonic. Raven's pulled us into your mind, into your memories, and if we can find the real you…"

"I'll be able to wake up." Danny answered factually, his posture relaxing.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did and…" Robin tried to say, but Danny cut him off.

"Don't be, you had no idea this would happen, and right now, we need to focus on getting you guys out of here."

"We're not going anywhere without you," Beastboy said walking forward. "You're our friend, and I don't care if you hate me or us for the rest of your life, but you're going to accept our help, and we're all leaving here together, got it!"

The Titans were shell shocked, and Danny couldn't seem to stop staring at Beastboy's outburst.

Danny let out a huff. "Fine. Now, how have you been going through my memories?"

"With this," Robin said taking the game chip out and handing it to the halfa. Danny stared at it before he abruptly turned and walked out of his room.

"Hey, wait up!" Cy yelled and the Titans followed him past the library and into the new lab.

"So, this is where it was," BB said.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Danny shrugged and plugged in the device to his computer, the screen clicked on and his fingers began flying across the keys.

"Huh, well you appear to be on the right path."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"What I'm saying, is that eventually you would have gotten to what it was I was trying to tell you. The problem is: messing with memoires is complicated. One thought, can lead to an entirely different memory. It's sort of like playing pick-up sticks, you might be trying to go for blue, but instead you move green and then you're stuck with it. It's a roundabout way, but sooner or later you would have gotten to the right memory."

"So what went wrong?" Raven asked looking at the screen codes. Danny pulled up the main frame and thousands of levels appeared. Some bright blue, others blood red.

"My memories started collapsing. Most non-essential things, easily forgotten throughout the day, but see these dark red ones. These indicate that my mind is now locked, and the neurological path ways cannot recall or send the memories to me or you of that matter," as the teen explained this, five more blue levels turned red.

"So?" BB probed.

"It means Danny's mind is beginning to shut down, that his hard drive is crashing. If you think of the mind as a computer system, that is," Cyborg said helplessly, and the Titans all looked to Danny who wasn't paying any attention. Instead he was typing away, entering new codes.

"Aren't you freaked out? You're practically dying!" Beastboy said.

"Um, technically I'm half dying, and I can't afford to panic right now. Look, I'm pretty sure I know what I wanted you guys to see. I can't send you back to that particular level, but I can send you to some memories that might trigger that line of thought," Danny said before pressing enter, the bar began to load.

"How do you know all of this? And what about Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, they knew how to work this too."

Danny looked to Robin and smiled kindly, he looked fourteen again. "Safe guards, all the memories you were in were probably on the verge of collapsing. They were there to keep you guys safe. I'm probably the same. For whatever reason you guys really must have made an impression on me."

The Titans smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, friend Danny," Starfire said. The screen began to glow, when Danny looked to them again his face fell.

"Just be ready, you won't like what you find," he said and the screen flashed.

The Teen Titans were standing in front of a plain white door labeled room four-nineteen, the florescent lights humming quietly, and the smell of sick and the dying filled there noises.

"We're in a hospital," Cyborg spoke solemnly, the Titans walked through the door, and sucked in their breath. For there, sitting on top of the bed sheets was Danny. His skin black and blue. Bandages wrapped around his throat and arms, his messy black hair utterly disheveled. But what killed the team were his eyes, which were empty and hopeless. The door clicked open, and Vlad stepped in. His face was drawn and tight, his back rigid and stiff. Danny didn't even acknowledge him.

"I just finished speaking to the lawyers. With Jack and Ma…Maddie gone, I'm now your legal guardian."

Danny shifted away, blue eyes watching the sunset.

"I guess you must be happy. I willingly get to join you 'cause of a damnable piece of paper," Danny whispered bitterly, his voice horse.

"That's not true, little badger."

"I'm not staying with you. I don't care if I have to kill you, I won't stay with you," Danny hissed his eyes steely, but the Titans could see fear. Yet Vlad growled, his patience spent.

"After everything I…look here, child, who would take you in? A freak with powers? Because of what you are, you'll always be feared, always be hunted. And your deranged sense of morals will always put you in the impossible situation. And Daniel, I warn you now, you will _always_ be betrayed," Vlad hissed his eyes burning red. Danny's remained ice blue.

"No. You're wrong Vlad, someone will…"

"Someone will _what,_ Daniel? Save you? Please, don't be so naïve," the man sneered. "No one will even be able to _understand_ you. How could they? That your powers are born from you very soul, that by being dead you are alive. You can't even begin to comprehend what will happen to you! That not every power you gain will be easy. It will most likely tear you apart through pain and suffering! And when will you wake up, and _see_ that I'm the _only one_ who will ever understand this? Daniel, I…"

"Get. Out."

It was a demand.

"Daniel?" Vlad stuttered.

"Get out, get out, _get out!"_ Danny screamed the entire room began shaking. Waves of energy pouring from the teen, and Vlad stumbled back to the door before he fled the room. Danny collapsed into dry sobs, blood trickling down his chin. The sun rays hit the room and cast everything in orange, and suddenly they weren't in the hospital room. But on a street, and everything was on fire.

"W-where?" Starfire asked. But she couldn't finish her sentence for there, lying on the pavement in front of a burning hell that used to be the Nasty Burger, if the charred sign was anything to go by, was Danny. Everything was silent. Even when the fire trucks pulled up and the firefighters desperately fought the blaze that was consuming everything. The Titans watched a man pull Danny away even though the teen began to struggle having woken from his daze. It took three firefighters to keep Danny at bay. To pull him away from the debris still raining down, the earth gave a violent shake, and the rest of the building caved. The Titans looked away from the inferno, the one thing the halfa couldn't look away from. Until the firefighter pulled Danny into a hug and his muffled voice broke through.

"It's alright son, there was nothing you could have done. It's alright," the man kept whispering the mantra over and over as other noises steadily grew louder. The blaring of sirens, the orders from other firefighters, yelling to control the fire, that they didn't want another explosion.

"I read in the papers that six people died in an explosion at the Nasty Burger, that Danny was the only one to survive," Robin spoke softly, his voice dead. Cyborg didn't know what to do, so he said the only thing that came to mind.

"An explosion. It makes sense, if Danny was close enough to the blast, he might go temporarily deaf. If only for a moment," he said, but as the sirens wailed, the team knew that that moment hadn't been enough.

"It's going to be alright," the firefighter whispered. Only the voice grew deep, and reminded the team of a gravel road. Danny and the firefighter disappeared, and there, standing in their place was a ghost. He had pale blue skin and blood red eyes, a scar running across his left eye. He was clothed in purple robes as if he were an archer, a grandfather clock placed inside his chest, and he held a staff in one hand a stopwatch suspended in the middle. The ghost merely chuckled at the Titans' gawking faces.

"Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come in?" The man asked, his form shifting to that of a child. And it was then the Titans realized they were no longer standing in the scorched parking lot, but in front of two giant carved doors. The team walked in, following the ghost as he travelled through the corridors, clocks of every kind floating around them—frozen— green sun filtering in from the stain glass windows.

"Who are you?" Robin asked finally finding his voice. The ghost shifted once more, his smile nearly concealed in his long white beard.

"Introductions, very well: I am Clockwork Master of Time, and I am the reason Danny was forced to lose the ones he loved."

"What!" The Titans yelled immediately forgetting that they were about to fight a guardian in Danny's mind. Clockwork merely sighed, his form shifting once more.

"You see, I was charged with the task of eliminating Daniel's time to prevent the destruction of the worlds."

"What do you mean?" Robin snapped not backing down from his fighting stance. Clockwork floated over to a swirling portal and from it he showed them.

"Ten years from now, Danny Phantom would grow up to be the evilest ghost of all time. No one could stop him, and eventually the worlds would be destroyed. The Observent's ordered me to take away his time. But they only see time like watching a parade. I see it from above and the twists and turns it might or might not take. I brought Danny here through these twists and turns. Until he chose to go into the future, it was there he met Dan Phantom. And it was there he learned how this future came to be, in order to prevent it."

"But if that's the case, why did his family die?" Raven asked, Clockwork closed his eyes.

"You must understand. The decisions Danny makes are greater than you know, the same goes for you five. A simple test, the C.A.T, resulted in his demise. The Nasty Burger exploded and with it, it took the lives of Jack, Maddie and Jazz Fenton, his best friend Tucker Foley, his girlfriend Sam Manson, and Mr. Lancer. Danny was forced to live with Vlad and when the man offered to take away the pain and suffering, to take away Daniel's humanity.

"He took away Danny's morality. A part of his soul."

"Not just a part, Robin, all of his soul, and when Daniel's evil self ripped out Plasmius's ghost self and merged them together the result was this."

"But Danny's family still died. If you sent him to the future through a series of unfortunate events, how?" Beastboy asked hurtful anger in his voice.

"Dan Phantom left Danny in the future and came to the past in order to make sure his timeline was assured," Clockwork said the portal swirling, showing Dan hovering above the very people he once loved strapped to an overheating boiler, Danny bravely fighting. "Danny defeated his evil self but at a price, he wouldn't have the strength to save his family. This was absolute."

"Then how, man?" Cyborg screamed and Clockwork met there gazes.

"You were," Robin breathed.

"Yes; I was. Danny deserved a second chance, but the Observants interfered and that was a twist the road might take. Daniel lost everything from their ignorance and my arrogance."

"Then please tell us, how do we save friend Danny now? We cannot bring his family back," Starfire said her eyes red from the tears she'd been able to keep at bay.

Clockwork shifted into his middle form.

"First, you must discover Danny's fear, then his enemy, and why such events are playing out as we speak, and I will take you there," the Ghost of Time disappeared.

"Ah, great, I _hate_ riddles!" Beastboy screamed.

"We just need to think through this logically. First, what does Danny fear?" Robin asked.

"Vlad," Cyborg said. "He didn't want to go with him. Danny was afraid he'd lose his soul, and you heard Jazz, Vlad isn't the type of person to take no for an answer."

"Two, then if that's the case, who's his enemy?" Robin countered.

"Himself," Raven stated.

"Think, if friend Danny's fear is losing his soul, then wouldn't his enemy be himself for giving in to Vlad."

"Now why?"

It was this question that stumped all of the Titans. Beastboy scrunched up his face in concentration when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, what did Timey mean when he said _'such events are playing out as we speak?'"_

"I don't know," Cyborg said.

"We're in Danny's memories, he's catatonic, so there's no way he'd be fighting himself right now," Raven answered calmly, Robin's head snapped up.

"That's not necessarily true, we're in Danny's memories, but Danny isn't in any of them. Instead he sends us a game, protects us with guardians, while he's fighting to keep us on the right path to finding him. Because Danny isn't in his memories, he's in a _dream_."

"The reason Danny's memories were falling apart…" Cyborg realized.

"Was because the real Danny's fighting in his dream. He couldn't simultaneously maintain both," Raven said, Beastboy looked at them in confusion.

"So wait, let me get this straight, while we've been wandering on the wrong side of the road the entire time, Danny's been fighting himself?"

"Not on the wrong side, you were merely on a converging path," Clockwork interjected reappearing. Robin stepped forward.

"We know where Danny is, we know he fears himself and we know his enemy is Dan. Now take us to him!"

"I can't."

"_What!"_ The Titans screamed. The Master of Time looked at them with young eyes.

"You have yet to figure out why?"

The teens yelled in frustration. Raven felt like smiting the ghost, but as she looked to her friends she remembered Danny mumbling in the Spectra Speeder as Skulker chased them, _"together, we made six."_

"Danny's afraid of losing us, just like he lost his family. That's why he's fighting, now take us to him!" Raven yelled, causing the team to jump. And with a smile Clockwork held up his staff and pressed the stop watch.

"Time, In!"

The team landed in what used to be a city, but the only thing blacker than the destroyed buildings, was the grey overcast sky.

"Okay, this is creepy," Beastboy said looking at the ruins.

"It doesn't matter. Titans, spread out. Danny's here, and we're going to find him," Robin ordered. Everyone began to separate when an explosion shook everyone as one skyscraper fell.

"Titans, go!"

The team tore off, heading towards the plume of smoke. They rounded the corner in time to watch as Robin's neck was snapped, before he was thrown to the ground. No more than a broken rag doll. Dan laughed.

"What's wrong, Danny? Can't scream anymore?" Dan mocked to the boy underneath his boot. Dan pressed down and _crack_, three ribs were broken. Danny didn't even whimper. Desolate ice blue eyes only staring straight ahead.

"Danny!" Robin screamed and red eyes snapped up to the Titans, a maniacal smile contorted the ghosts face.

"Well, it looks like you've brought some new friends along to play," Dan said his deep baritone voice sounding insane. Robin glared.

"Let him go, now!"

Dan laughed and forced Danny to his knees, clothes torn and tattered. The halfa wouldn't even meet their eyes.

"Why, so you can _save_ him? Please, you can't fight destiny _boy_. Little Danny here has already figured that out," Dan said gesturing around them, and the Titans, who had been so focused on saving their friend never bothered to look at the hell around them. Robin's death had been merciful. Nothing like the bodies surrounding them, blending in to the blood stained rubble. Cyborg couldn't even recognize his own body. Beastboy gagged, and Starfire and Raven could only stare in horror. But what was worse, were the bodies next to theirs; charred but still recognizable.

Dan lifted Danny high off the ground, and the teen choked as his windpipe was crushed, the ghost prepared to snap his neck.

"You will always become me."

"Azarath Metrion Zenthos!"

Black energy encompassed Danny, and Raven yanked him away from death's embrace.

"Titans, go!"

No one hesitated. Cyborg fired every chance he got, giving Beastboy an opening, and the green tiger tore through the ghost's shoulder with ease. Raven and Starfire pounded away at him until Robin leapt in and kicked the thing into a building three streets away. The team stood there panting, enraged, until they remembered their friend.

"Danny!" Robin breathed as they ran over to him. His now white hair matted in grim and blood, his green eyes wide with shock.

"Danny, it's us. Your friends, remember?"

"What are you doing here?" Danny choked out as the team knelt down around him.

"Saving you, dude," Beastboy said placing a hand on the halfa's shoulder to reassure not only Danny, but himself as well. Danny could only stare in confusion.

"But how, this place is always the same, they die, you die, and Dan begins to snap my neck, then… I don't know."

"You wake up. This place is a nightmare Danny, it's not real," Raven said her violent eyes hard, desperately trying to convey this to him. The halfa's eyes widened.

"If that's the case, then why not let Dan kill me. I'll just wake up?"

Cyborg cut him off, "Because you're catatonic. If Dan kills you now, you'll stay dead."

"You can't let him win," Robin pleaded. "We didn't come into your mind so you could give up."

A yell resounded hollowly throughout the town and the sounds of buildings falling reached their ears.

"Friend Danny, please, we know you are afraid of losing us. But know this, we are also afraid of losing you," Starfire said, fat tears finally rolling down her cheeks. Danny felt his heart constrict in his chest. He looked back to Robin.

"Please, Danny. I know what I did hurt you. And I'm so sorry, but I'm begging you now, don't make us go through the same pain you went through. I know it's a selfish thing to ask. But, you just started being a part of the team. You finally started calling us your friends."

White hot fire shot towards them, and Raven barely had time to shield them as it pelted into her black wall until she collapsed in Beastboy's arms.

"Raven!"

"You really think you can defeat me, you pathetic Titans!" Dan screamed, storming towards them. Blue fire all encompassing. Danny stood then, and he took a step forward, all the injuries on his beaten body disappeared. And two glowing green eyes met burning red.

"No, they already have."

The halfa looked down to them for a moment. "Cover your ears," he instructed before he let out a wail. It was focused, the dense waves only striking Dan. But the noise: the cries like the voices of the dammed, the power, consumed everything. And at that moment, Cyborg was glad he could at least mute one of his ears. In seconds, Dan was destroyed. His form turning to black smoke as his molecules were ripped apart until nothing was left. Danny collapsed on the ground transforming back into his human self.

Everyone was stunned into silence, and Danny turned beet red before smiling sheepishly.

"So um, I'm apparently catatonic."

"Friend Danny!" Starfire cried before she lunged at him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Raven woke shortly to Danny trying to claw his way towards freedom. But the big goofy grin on his face told her the teen probably didn't mind.

"Rae, you're awake!" Cy said helping her stand.

"I am. What happened?" She asked.

"Not much," Beastboy said dismissively, "just some major mind blowing butt kicking!" He screamed, before launching into a full explanation of the events. Everyone other than Raven tuned him out, and Robin looked over to his friend.

"So, how much do you remember?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I remember collapsing down in the lair, and hearing you guys calling me. But I was too weak. Still, when I was falling I thought I heard…"

"_Danny, you promised!"_ Sam screamed. "A friend call me out on one of my promises I was about to break. And I made that video game from my memories hoping you'd find me. Or that I could at least find a way out. I didn't exactly expect to fall in here," he said gesturing to the land around them, green grass slowly growing from the rocks as the sky began to clear.

"Well, all that matters is you're back," Robin said.

"Thanks."

The Titans leader nodded before he looked over to Raven.

"Raven, take us home."

She nodded and a pure black bird engulfed them all.


	21. Chapter 14: Finding Him, Part 6

_Soon your tears will pass away..._

Titans Phantom

Chapter 14: Finding Him

Part Six

The group slowly came to. The candles having long burned down the wick. The sun was filtering in through the windows. Beastboy sat up and held his nose.

"Ah, man, it smells like a burned dumpster truck." he whined while Danny chuckled and Raven punched him in the arm. Starfire shot up and clapped her hands together.

"Please friends, we must celebrate this now joyous occasion! We must make Glor pudding and five finger crisp…" Danny cut her off hesitantly.

"Thanks, but I really should go. I've been missing for a couple of days now and Fixit's probably debating on if he should hunt me down." _Or go into the Ghost Zone_…_again_, the halfa thought fondly.

"Oh, well you will return later, yes?" she asked and the group all looked to him expectantly, Danny hummed nervously.

"S-sure."

"Great, see you soon man!" Cy said clapping him on the shoulder before promptly yelling "I need to take a whizz!" and running off to the bathroom. Beastboy fled soon after.

"Boys," Raven said disgusted. Danny chuckled and headed to the door before he paused and looked back to the three remaining Titans.

"That reminds me, I remember feeling you walking around in my memories up to the parking lot when I was fighting Dan, but after that it's all a big blank. So, how did you get into my dream?"

"You gave us guardians," Robin said before continuing. "Every time a memory was about to collapse, you'd send us one. Clockwork was the last. He said if we could answer his, or _your_ questions, then he'd take us to you."

A knowing smile came over Danny's face. "I see. Well, thanks again," Danny called, the living room door closed.

"I need to rest." Raven said.

Starfire and Robin bid her goodnight. It was only as the sunlight illuminated the red and yellows in the room did a thoughtful expression cross Robin's face.

"What is wrong?" Starfire asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Robin replied giving her a reassuring smile, "I just remembered something."

"What?" Star asked, waiting patiently for her friends answer. Robin turned to her with a small smile on his face.

"I just hope Beastboy didn't insult the Master of Time by calling him Timey," he said and with this he walked away, leaving Starfire to process what he meant. She dissolved into giggles.

"Yes, that would be most upsetting."

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

If you read through this you will discover that Danny's guardians (a.k.a. Tucker, Sam and Jazz) only talked to the Titans _after_ a memory and Danny was always in the background. Even the older Danny was a part of a memory as was little Danny even though he was from another time.

Clockwork was the only guardian who didn't follow the sequence, he was alone. Also just because I'm evil, what if the two Danny's weren't Danny at all, but a certain meddling ghost, maybe?

*At my high school we we're called Band nerds. Not geeks. Then it's: Choir freaks, and Orcha dorks and of course Drama queens.

~Rin


	22. Chapter 15: Car Troubles with Ghosts

_Everything is restarting..._

"_I still have too long a life ahead to get rid of these feelings, right? _

_I want to try doing over the things I've left undone. _

_That's why I want to grow stronger…_

_I even welcome this pain, because it's better than emptiness."_

_~Ogawa, Mika_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 15: Car Troubles with Ghosts

A week had passed, and life seemed to return to normal. Or relatively normal. Fixit wouldn't stop hovering around Danny, much to the teen's annoyance. He suspected the Titans had filled him in on some of the details…_traitors_. Danny thought fondly as he buttoned up his blue jeans and slipped on a long grey sweatshirt before heading upstairs. Pushing open the door to the store was like breaking a barrier. Immediately the teen was submerged back into the daily lives of the people mulling about, talking, laughing and reading. He even saw a couple of middle school students ditching class to come eat some of Fixit's pastries.

"How are you feeling?"

Danny jumped slightly, cursing himself for letting his mind wander while Fixit situated himself behind the oak counter.

"I'm starting to think this is your favorite place to jump me," Danny grumbled attempting to throw the robot off those lines of questions.

"If you are referring to the previous conversations taken place here. Then yes, it is a fair assessment when you are in well enough health for me to do so. However, neither you, nor the Titans have attempted to contact each other," the man stated looking out over the store. "I am beginning to worry."

Danny gave pause, before he frowned.

"If you're afraid I'll have a relapse, don't, and the Titans probably just want me to rest. Though if you wanted to know how I'm feeling, just ask."

A triumphant smirk came over Fixit's face, and Danny instantly blushed in embarrassment.

"T-that was dirty trick."

"It is the only way for me to get answers out of you."

Danny made sure not to look at the robot and instead focused on the store. Letting the golden warmth seep into him, the halfa momentarily felt frozen. He felt the safety, or peacefulness, brush across his skin causing his heart flutter. The halfa looked at the college kids sitting on the floor stacked around piles of books with their notes and papers scattered around them while their coffee sat precariously close to the side. Danny felt his left eye twitch noticing some of the volumes were first editions.

He could hear Cole and his group of nerds upstairs, arguing over how to configure a webpage – and just the feeling of life, or innocence, made him feel like he was looking at everything through a window pane. Simultaneously such benign feelings coursed through him as if he were really a part of these people. Yet where he stood, his palms spread across the glass, the warmth had to pass through three different mediums and made the halfa realize that these feelings were only a surface truth. A reminder, for these people never would have to know true darkness. These people were safe, and wistfully Danny wondered what it would be like to be the protected, and not the protector.

"Danny?" Fixit asked pulling the teen back to reality.

"I'm fine," a small smile graced his lips, "just remembering something I'd forgotten."

"What?"

"You going to try and trick it out of me again?" Danny asked eyeing the robot suspiciously, Fixit smiled.

"No."

Danny sighed in relief before rubbing his neck with one palm.

"I just never realized how much my life has changed since the accident," he whispered and that was the truth. Danny felt silly admitting it, but then again, he never really thought about it before. Back when he lived in Amity Park, when his friends and family surrounded him, vainly he had tried to maintain some semblance of a normal life. Though in the end, Danny Phantom always came first. Still, that had been fine since he could always grasp onto those lifelines for support.

"I always lived two lives, and when I came here, I swore never to be one or the other again. I didn't want to protect anyone. But now, I'm not one or the other."

Frustration welled up inside of the teen, and Danny tried to squash it back down. It was silly to think of himself as being alone. Of not fitting into the daily lives of these people. He was here now wasn't he? The teen dropped his gaze. Allowing ebony hair to obscure his eyes and hide the turmoil inside his chest, constricting his lungs that desperately wanted air. Danny suddenly felt the urge to get up and run, afraid these people might realize he was a stranger looking in on them.

But what tied his heart in knots was that he didn't know where to run. The Titans hadn't contacted him, did they…did they not want him to belong there at their Tower? Fear. Colder than his ice core made him shiver, and desperation surged through him in a way that he couldn't get his emotions under control. Danny gasped when Fixit placed a warm hand on his shoulder and held him with his ocean colored eyes.

"You are who you will always be."

It was a small comfort. Fixit not knowing the halfa's true fears. But if they hadn't been in the store with people around to watch, Danny would have had a total moment and hugged the robot until he wouldn't be able to feel his toes.

Both of them jumped when the Titans communicator went off in Danny's side pocket. Fixit had to blink the dizziness away at how fast the halfa moved.

"So much for letting you rest," the robot stated glaring at the device as Danny motioned for Fixit to watch the store while he headed down into the lab and flipped open the screen.

"Hey, so who's destroying the town now?" Danny quipped. Relief flooding his system, concealing his earlier fears. Cyborg gazed back at him in panic.

"Tower's been compromised, we're stuck in the basement sub level T-00, get here as fast as you can."

The communicator went dead and panic blossomed beneath Danny's chest. He tore through the sky and pushed all his power into pure speed. Nearly demolishing the Tower with his urgency. Danny landed like a bullet in the basement, stood there, fists deadly green, armed to attack —

—and blinked.

"Wha…?"

Cyborg beamed at him.

"Great man, now we can get started," the mechanical teen exclaimed. Bouncing on his heels, Danny still couldn't seem to form a coherent thought at what he was seeing: there was no fire, no enemies, none of the Titans were injured or dying, in short, he'd been tricked. Danny really did feel a tick in his left eye, and his aura suddenly became more oppressive than Raven's. Cyborg broke out into a nervous sweat, but received no support from his teammates who were all glaring at him, clearly saying: '_you-got-yourself-into-this-mess-you-face-the-consequences.'_

"Uh, yeah, about lying to you…"

Danny smiled sweetly, looking very much like the god of death.

"Don't worry about it, just pray that it was worth it."

"Probably not," Raven answered, walking up to him as white rings changed Danny back. The rest of the Titans joined him, and Cyborg assumed now it was probably safe to proceed, even if Danny's eyes were slightly glowing.

"Drum roll, please!"

Beastboy morphed into an animal–Danny wondered if it even existed on Earth–and began beating his stomach.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and whatever the heck Beastboy is."

The teen glared up at him. "Hey Cy, you want that drum roll, or not?" he asked, sinking back down onto the floor to continue the procession.

"Sorry, it is my great pleasure to present to you for the first time anywhere, the thing you've all been waiting for, my coolest, hottest, badest creation…"

"Just get on with it," Raven sighed, but by now Cyborg had the team enthralled, even Danny was curious.

His fingers twitching in anticipation, Cyborg smiled enthusiastically to them all, "I give you the future of Titan's transportation, the one, the only, T-Car!" He yelled ripping away the tan covered tarp to reveal the sleek machine. Cyborg beamed at the compliments he received.

"Yep, she's my baby: one hundred horse power plasma turbine engine, all terrain hover jets, anti-lock air breaks, and an on board computer that links with my systems. So I can literally _feel _the road," Cy smirked.

"Woah," Beastboy said, Robin whistling slowly. Starfire had literal stars in her eyes, and Danny smiled to his friend at his accomplishment.

"And of course: leather seats, power windows, and a booming stereo, are all standard."

Danny wasn't sure he liked the stereo after the headache it gave him. Plus it made their hair stand on end with how loud the bass was.

"So am I forgiven?" Cyborg asked, clearly already knowing what Danny's answer would be. The halfa almost wanted to scratch the blue and white tech car just to spite him.

"I guess you're forgiven."

"Great, can we go now?" Raven asked, Cyborg patted his car.

"You bet, Raven. I'll take you any place you want to go." Cy said. Danny, Robin, and Beastboy had three different answers along with Starfire.

"The Swamp Moons of Dranthax Four."

Danny felt his jaw drop, and Robin and BB fell to the floor. Starfire blushed in embarrassment.

"He said anywhere," she defended.

Robin's communicator went off, "trouble."

"I'll drive." Cyborg chimed already in his car, just to humor him and make the mechanical teen worry about the safety of his baby, Danny sang out, "I'll fly!" And Cyborg vowed to never again prank the super power teen.

* * *

><p>The car ride was an interesting ordeal. Turns out Danny hadn't needed to threaten Cyborg with an aerial attack. Since Starfire and Beastboy were doing a pretty nice job of making Cy's mechanical heart tremble in fear.<p>

"I know you're not getting drool all over my paint job!"

Danny laughed as BB blushed and they flew around the bend, the car maneuvering just as well as Danny, who couldn't help but be impressed. He was about to yell down to Robin and ask where the fight was, when the sounds of screaming people reached his ears and the T-Car came to a screeching halt outside Cook's Electronics. The team stumbled out of the car and Danny touched down.

"Titans, go!"

The team ran forward right when blue mist escaped from Danny's mouth.

"Oh no."

His eyes searched the dark blue sky, and sure enough there was the tell tale green glow flying towards them. He needed to stop the ghost before reaching the store, and causing more problems for the Titans. Danny prepared to take flight, when Raven came out of nowhere and yanked his wrist, _hard._

"Hey? Raven!" Danny yelped, stumbling as she bodily dragged him forward. Ignoring his protests in light that she did the same to Cyborg who had been bragging about his car to some teens whose hair was stuck in the eighties, complete with black leather jackets and tooth pick combs in their back pockets.

"Boys," she growled.

Danny looked up, the shape was weaving around the buildings. He needed to go; now. Raven blinked when she lost her grip on Danny. Shoving Cyborg through the double doors, she turned to see him hovering slightly off the ground, eyes scanning the sky.

"I need to check something out," the halfa mentioned.

"What?"

Danny paused, "I'm not sure. I'll tell you when I get back, go help the team."

And he took off, intercepting Skulker two blocks away, his shoulder missiles armed and aimed directly at the halfa.

"Hello, ghost child."

"Skulker, how did you find me?" Danny growled, his fists lighting up in green ecto-energy.

"I guess you could say it was a lucky break. After all, Plasmius refuses to hire me. So stumbling across a natural portal, who was I to deny fate?" And the ghost let his weapons soar and the fight began.

Soon enough, Danny felt his muscles burn. Skulker had grown as a fighter, all the weapons were designed to lock onto his ghost signature, the two of them traded blow for blow. Skulker's armor began to smell of burnt metal and violently he swung out his machete missing Danny's mid section by inches.

"Why are you here?" Danny yelled kicking the hunter in the chest before he dived out of the way, two missiles collided together in a fiery explosion. Skulker flew through the black smoke and punched the teen in the chest, sending him flying. The rooftop Danny landed on gave a crunch and unfortunately it was the electronic store. A place Skulker could use to power up his suit. The wind whispered and the halfa dodged the poisonous arrows aimed at him.

"Isn't it obvious? So your pelt can hang on my wall!" he exclaimed landing on the building. Danny turned to face him, he couldn't let the ghost realize where he was.

"Heh, the same as ever I see. I'm guessing you still can't hold down a girlfriend then?"

Skulker turned beet red before he fired round after round of weapons.

"Shut up, you miserable fool!"

Danny slipped through each opening, fast as a snake before he delivered a freezing blast to the mechanical suit. Paralyzing the hunter, sending him crashing into the parking lot. Danny landed, hearing the fight going on inside the store just as Robin yelled, "Titans, soak him!"

Pausing, the halfa felt dumbstruck, huh? He turned to the store and froze along with the two teens… who were currently breaking into Cyborg's car.

"Hey…"Danny started forward, his eyes flashing dangerously. The teens 'eeped', and a white ecto-blast hit the halfa in between the shoulders blades.

Pain blossomed instantly, and Danny collapsed onto his knees barely managing to form a shield avoiding the next attack.

"Don't turn your back on me, whelp!" Skulker growled stalking forward. The teens were getting into the car, desperate to get away, and Danny still kneeled on the ground unable to stop anything. For his nerves felt like they'd gone to sleep and prickled with the slightest movement. A frustrated growl escaped his mouth while the rev of the car's engine could be heard.

"That was a low blow, using that technology the fruitloop designed," he whispered as energy crackled beneath his fingertips.

"Do you like it? It's especially designed to immobilized my opponents. _Especially_ halfas, you won't be moving for at least a couple of hours. Now all I have to do is break your shield and…"

Danny whipped around and fired. White lightening surged forth, hitting Skulker square in the chest, blasting him back into a nearby building.

Shocked, was the only thing that passed through Danny's mind as he stood up. The numbness in all of his nerves gone, he lowered the shield and looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers.

"Great, now I have another power," he whispered. A frown pulled at his features, remembering the same feeling when he'd attacked Slade down in the sewers. Looking up Danny realized Skulker had disappeared, the car was long gone, and the electronic store was quiet.

"Shoot." How was he going to explain this? It was at that moment the Titans emerged carrying one electrical monster with a hard drive for a face in a rubber tarp, and saw Danny standing in the destroyed parking lot, with no T-Car present. Cyborg had yet to realize it was gone.

"Soon as we hand sparky over to the cops, how about we swing by the drive through?" he asked to Beastboy.

"Uh, Cy."

Cyborg gasped, "my wheel lock, my car alarm, my baby, someone stole my baby!" He yelled collapsing on the ground. When tears started to form under Cyborg's eyes, Starfire stepped forward, and attempted to comfort him. Danny should have known it would only add fuel to the fire.

"I understand your pain, Cyborg. When I was small my favorite zarnik was eaten by a rampaging glorg. Believe me, after your zarnik has been inside a glorg, you do not want it back," she said earnestly. Danny wondered how the zarnik could survive stomach acid and still be alive for his friend to even contemplate wanting said zarnik back.

"My car wasn't eaten, Star. It was stolen!"

"Hey, look on the bright side, at least it wasn't my fault." Beastboy grinned, he shuddered at Robin's glare.

"Not helping, we'll help you find your car, I promise. But right now we need to take Overload to jail."

"No we need to go now. Every second we wait is a second she could get scratched or dinged."

"Calm down, it's just a car," Raven replied dispassionately, annoyed at her friend's priorities. Except when Cy gave her a look of pure anger, she began to regret sticking her foot in her mouth.

"She's not just a car, she's my car and…" Cy stopped mid sentence, and Danny had a sick feeling drop in his stomach when the mechanical teen rounded on him.

"And you were out here the whole time. Why didn't you stop those thieves? After all, you didn't help at all during our fight. Or was Overload just too easy for you?" He growled out, and Danny bristled in anger.

"I don't care what you think of me, but know that I would have stopped it if I could have."

Cyborg saw red, "yeah right," he turned and walked away. Missing the halfa's eyes which flared in hurt, "where are you going?" Danny yelled.

"I'm gonna find her, whether you guys help me or not."

Robin let out a frustrated sigh and counted in his head before he felt it was safe enough to question Danny, "what happened out here?"

Danny turned to meet his stare before he stiffly replied, "a ghost attacked. I didn't want him getting into the electronic store, and I see now that it was a smart decision due to Overload being there. By the time I realized what was happening to Cy's car I was pinned down. I didn't mean for his car to get stolen." Once the words were out Danny shut his mouth. Why was he trying to explain himself? Robin nodded in understanding.

"I'm sure you didn't, can you help us take Overload to prison or do you need to be somewhere else?" Robin asked. Danny paused for a moment thinking over his options.

"I need to run to my lab and get the Thermos so I can trap Skulker. He's still on the loose, and he gets creative when hunting."

"Then take Beastboy with you. Once we're done, Starfire, Raven and I will locate Cy's car and make sure he gives you a proper apology."

Danny blushed in embarrassment at that, but nodded and the team split up. BB morphing into a falcon so he and the halfa could take to the sky. The crowd of curious onlookers watching the two of them disappear, phones and cameras out.

* * *

><p>Cyborg stomped up to the third fifties diner in the city which was plainly labeled Burgers. He was pissed and for once he didn't care that he was scaring the civilians. Approaching a teen who was wearing similar get up, had spiked black hair that was lathered in grease and hairspray, he heard the boy talk about what appeared to be a tail pike. The blonde who he was speaking to ran off the second he noticed Cyborg, and the boy turned around and froze in fear while Cy hoisted him up by the lapels of his leather jacket.<p>

"I'm looking for my car. Tricked out hard top with a growl that'll make your teeth shake. Ring any bells?"

"Um, yeah, Sammy and Kash cruised by in a car like that. Looks really cool with those flames painted on it."

"They painted my baby?" Cy questioned, horror struck, "where are they?"

"Well, they were looking to race so they headed to Crash Alley."

Cyborg dropped the teen out of shock.

* * *

><p>Danny and Beastboy landed in the lab. While the changeling shook off the goose bumps of becoming intangible, Danny snagged the Fenton Thermos and condensed its size to nothing more than a white square tile that could easily snap onto his belt. Picking up a pen and paper he then began scrawling a note to Fixit.<p>

"So, what does that square thing do?" Beastboy asked hedging forward.

"It's allows me to trap and contain ghosts until I can return them to the Ghost Zone."

"Cool, does it always stay that compact?"

Finishing the note, Danny walked over to another counter to retrieve an ecto-gun.

"No, once it contains a ghost it stays in its cylindrical form. Tucker was never able to figure out how to change it back. Here, this should come in handy when we run into Skulker," Danny explained tossing the gun to BB and posting the note on the outside of the lab door before phasing him and BB out of the apartment. Taking to the rooftops, Beastboy nimbly jumped across them, never losing sight of Danny who flew next to him.

"So where do we start looking for this ghost?"

"What's the popular hangout for teenagers?"

Beastboy thought about it. "Well the mall, the diner and I'd say probably the race tracks since we were in the outer part of the city."

"We'll start at the race tracks then. Skulker always did like a big crowd. And he's not one to pass up fans."

* * *

><p>Cyborg stomped his way to Crash Alley where he saw the two teens from the parking lot floating in an ion gold shield. He reached in and grabbed both of them.<p>

"W-what's going on buddy?"

"I. Want. My. Car."

"Yeah see um, the thing is we sorta lost it in a race," Sammy explained. Kash face palmed his black glasses.

"You lost my car? My car lost a race?!" Cy said in disbelief. Kash answered that.

"No way, we beat'em easy. She handled like a dream."

"She did?" Cy swelled with pride, "How'd she take the curves? 'Cause you know I've been working on the suspension for a while and…ah dddd… don't try and distract me. Who has her now?" He demanded. Sammy, or beddy eyes, as Cyborg dubbed him, answered.

"A dude named Gizmo, said something about a getaway car than headed downtown." Cy stuck them back in the shield before he walked away.

"Hey!"

"You can't just leave us here?"

"You're right. I'll make sure the cops come pick you up," Cy called, while he leapt over the race wall. The pair of binoculars following his every move.

"Interesting, it appears this human is mechanical as well. Let's see how well he fares against me," Skulker lowered his arm, and smiled, his suit now fully repaired.

* * *

><p>Danny and Beastboy reached Crash Alley when they spotted the cops parked nearby.<p>

"Excuse me officers, what's going on?" Beastboy asked, Danny landing beside him. The policemen warily looked at the new teen, but trusted the Titan's judgment.

"We got a call from Cyborg to come pick up two teens in an ion shield but it appears they escaped."

"Do you know where Cyborg said he was heading?" Danny asked, the crowd eyeing the pair curiously.

"No, but a witness overheard him going into downtown Jump. Apparently pursuing the criminal named Gizmo."

Beastboy's ears perked up at the name.

"Thank you," he said before turning to leave. Danny ran up to him.

"Got any ideas?"

"Yeah, Gizmo likes to steal, my guess is he'll hit banks."

"At this time of night they're closed," Danny said, looking up, "however banks with ATM's aren't."

Both took off.

* * *

><p>Cyborg didn't have to think hard on what Gizmo would rob, and sure enough there was his flame painted car, sitting at the drive through bank, cash piling in the back. He jumped onto the hood.<p>

"Get your butt out of my car!"

Danny and Beastboy found the two as soon as Gizmo shrieked and sped away with Cy as the hood ornament.

"Oh crap, Cy!" BB shouted, chasing after him. Danny shot through the sky and chased after Skulker.

"Whelp, how did you find me so soon?" Skulker shouted, he hadn't planned on this.

"Lucky guess," Danny said firing an ecto-blast. In all honesty, he hadn't even thought Skulker would show. But he had, and the halfa felt dread from the fact that he clearly had been after Cyborg.

Beastboy passed the car wash when he realized Danny wasn't with him. He loped to a stop and morphed out of his cheetah form. Only to see the fire battle going on in the sky.

"Oh, crap!"

In the distance he heard his friend yell, "are you even old enough to drive?"

"Titans, come in," BB said flipping open his communicator. Watching from the side as Cyborg and his car drove through a construction site.

"Danny and I have located Cyborg, but we're currently under attack by Skulker, track our location." Snapping the device closed, the teen jumped to the rooftop and pulled out the ecto-gun.

"Please don't let me hit Danny. Please don't let me hit Danny," he breathed and fired, well he didn't hit Danny. But that was only because the teen grabbed Skulker and turned them around, reversing their positions so the blast hit the hunter straight in his back. Cyborg's voice rang through the air, and the halfa turned to see the car speed towards the bay bridge, which was raising.

"Hit the nitro!"

Danny tore through the air, and Beastboy fired again when Skulker tried to follow. The car flew into the air, and Cyborg lost his grip, heading straight for the trash ship crossing underneath him. Danny caught his arm, while his car crossed over to the other side and sped away. Danny touched safely down, next to the run over bridge sign. Cyborg wrenched his arm away.

"Great, now I have to wait till the bridge lowers before I can go get my baby."

The halfa felt a tick in his eye. "Fine, I was trying to help. I'm sorry I didn't put you where you wanted to go, but did you even think for a second that I needed your help!" Danny yelled, fuming mad. Cyborg looked flabbergasted. Sure he'd been yelled at by the teen before. But this was different. It was as if Danny was trying to accommodate Cyborg. Like he was trying to fit into the team, never before had he asked for help but now…suddenly Cyborg felt like a real ass for mistreating him.

"Look, sorry man. I didn't mean to put you down. I really just need to find my car."

Danny sighed, "I know, and everyone will help you find her. But first, you need to wait."

Suddenly Beastboy landed on the cement, did a commendable side-and-roll combo before he raised his ecto-gun and fired.

"Guys, a little help?!"

Both looked up to see Skulker flying towards them along with five missiles. Danny raised a shield and Cyborg activated his canon. The weapons collided and Danny hissed, dropping the shield feeling the tell tale prickle of his nerves. Both Titans leapt into action, Skulker dodging their blasts.

"You won't interfere with my prey, ghost child!" The hunter yelled and Danny dodged an ecto-blast, but turning to the side placed him directly into the path of that sickening white ecto-energy, and he wouldn't be able to defend himself. Danny braced for the pain, and Cyborg skidded to a stop in front of him, taking the blast. The electricity harmlessly flowed around him and into his sonic canon, it powered up and Cy fired, his blast having ten times the power. Skulker's suit was completely obliterated.

"Boo-yeah!" He yelled fist pumping the air.

"How did you…" Danny trailed off and smiled, he'd worry about it later. Right now he had to deal with Skulker, walking up to the smoking metal suit, the halfa yanked off the head. Ignoring Beastboys completely manly screams at the sight, he pulled out the green blob that was the 'great' hunter.

"It's over, Skulker," Danny said, reaching for the Thermos now back in its cylindrical form.

"You think so?" The hunter snapped, his voice high and squeaky, "portals are opening everywhere and you'll have to kill me if you don't want this information to get out." But the hunter merely laughed and glared up at Danny, his eyes unreadable.

"And that's something you can't do. Oh, I can't wait to see your eyes clouded in pain once more, _Danny Phantom_."

Danny threw Skulker harshly in the air, before letting the Thermos catch him. It sucked him in and the teen screwed on the lid, not saying a word.

"Danny?" Beastboy asked, walking up to him, Cyborg at his side. Danny closed his eyes momentarily before he met the changeling and smiled.

"It's nothing, I'll tell you later. Right now I need to put Skulker back in the Ghost Zone."

"We'll go with you," Cyborg added, Danny shook his head.

"No, you still need to find your car."

Cyborg stopped, mentally debating with himself before nodding.

"You two split up and search, I'll help once I've dropped this idiot off," Danny answered giving the Thermos a good shake.

"Alright."

And the group split up, Beastboy calling the rest of the Titans apprising them of the situation, while Cyborg headed for the bridge, and Danny took to the sky. The small crowds of people watching him go in awe.

* * *

><p>It was nearing one o'clock and Cy had yet to locate his car. Instead he found himself back at the Burger joint with fifteen empty milkshake cups at his feet. Raven walked up, looked at his sullen face and decided to join him on the parking curve.<p>

"That's a lot of shakes, not a good sign," she said looking out into night, pulling her knees up.

"What are you doing here?" Cy asked still stung from her earlier comment.

"Looking for your car. Soon as we turned Overload to the police we all split up to search the city."

"Might as well stop looking, T-Car's probably half way to Metropolis City by now. From the day I designed her, I knew she was gonna be special, and I worked so hard: every fuel injector, every spark plug, I made her perfect. I put my heart, my soul, and my circuits into that car, and now she's gone forever. Maybe you were right, maybe she was just a car," Cy admitted, his heart clenching painfully in his chest and his head sinking to his knees.

"Maybe, maybe not. When I use my powers, I put a little of myself into whatever I'm moving. I become a part of it, and it becomes a part of me. It's temporary but that's kind of what happened here, it wasn't just a car it was your baby," Raven explained, each sentence carefully thought out. Each word painstakingly chosen to show Cyborg how she really felt. It was her apology as well as encouragement and Raven felt her heart swell in pride watching Cy cheer up and smile.

"Yeah, thanks Rae."

She couldn't help but smile back, till something else caught her eyes.

"And someone's eating onion rings in your baby."

Cyborg turned around to see his car tires squealing around the parking lot. A disgruntled waitress yelling after Gizmo and the fact that he hadn't paid.

"You'll get ketchup on the seats!" He yelled, practically growling. Raven looked around and tapped Cyborg's shoulder motioning over to the two teens who had escaped the police, who then had notified the Titans after Beastboy and Danny had left the area. Currently Sammy and Kash were bragging to the waitress about their getaway along with a black topless convertible most likely stolen. Raven covered them in black magic up to their necks and hoisted them off the ground.

"Escape from that before the cops show up," she hissed. The waitress smiled, this was probably the first good thing that happened to her all night.

"Sweet ride, mind if we borrow it?" Cyborg asked, holding up the car keys the two teens smiled sheepishly.

The T-Car was cruising, rounding the bends heading up the mountains that would lead to the ocean bay area, and Cy pulled up behind his car and honked making Gizmo swerve the car before speeding up.

"He may have a better car, but I'm a better driver," Cyborg grinned flooring it, taking the turns at dangerous speeds. He dodged the oil making the car balance on two wheels. And the mechanical teen teared up when he saw his Proton Canon being aimed at them in retaliation. Before he realized that now probably wasn't a good time to say that… "uh, I mean, oh-no." They dodged the blasts, the car riding up the cliff wall until they were driving on a different plain, the T-Car below them and gaining speed. The ease with which it took the curves bordered on criminal.

"C'mon, faster, faster!" Cy screamed his foot already flooring it, Raven stood up and gripped the windshield.

"Hang on, Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She covered the everything in black and the car shot forward as if rocket fuel had been poured into its tank. Cy screamed as a curve approached and they flew off the cliff and Raven pulled them up to the T-Car, and Cyborg leaned into the passenger side window.

"Pull over!"

"Make me, robo wimp!" Gizmo taunted using his play station controller to steer the car as he slammed it into them. Raven grunting as she kept the car firmly grounded.

"I said pull over!" And Cy reached into his car, half-way leaning out of the convertible, and Gizmo shrieked.

"Let me go, you barf smelling hairball!" he yelled farting in the mechanical teens face.

"O.k. making really hard to concentrate," Raven commented.

They rounded another corner and the headlights of another car shown. Raven jerked the convertible up, and Gizmo ejected from the T-Car as it collided into a prison transport vehicle the police inside barely having time to escape. Cyborg watched in horror as his car crunched and folded under the weight. Raven landed the car, and watched her friend race over to the crash site as Gizmo laughed. She bound his mouth shut with his own parachute.

"Please be okay," Cy whispered desperately, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. Eyes taking in every painful detail from the dented frame to the shattered glass. Electricity surged from the van and into his baby as Overload took possession of it.

"Car is better than okay, car is mine," the red hard drive said, throwing Cy's computer chip to the side like trash as he replaced it and everyone watched as the dents and metals were replaced and Cy's beautiful blue technology turned a violent red. Overload laughed in glee at the horror frozen on Cyborg's face.

"Only way to stop Overload, is to destroy your precious car," he sneered, the headlights flickering in enjoyment, and Cyborg steadily hid his emotions behind a mask as his baby barreled towards him. Calmly, he activated his canon and raised it.

"It's not my car anymore."

He fired and the remaining power stored in his systems from the ecto-blast tore through the frame and systems like a knife through butter. Nothing was left when the smoke cleared, just scrapes and Overload. The hard drive no longer having any power left to sustain its form, and he shut down.

The Titans and two transport police waited silently as another vehicle was called and during that time, Cy never looked at the wreckage. Instead he made sure the men were okay and informed Robin what happened. When the car arrived the police loaded Gizmo in the back where he sat down with Sammy and Kash, before a cop tossed in Overload and shut the doors. Dawn had risen ten minutes ago and Cy knew the tow truck would be here any minute. The knowledge of what happened finally sank in.

"She's gone. Gone forever."

"Maybe, maybe not, these are just parts. The thing you loved about that car, the thing that made her special that came from inside you," Raven said looking past him, her violet hair fluttering around her face and Cy followed her outstretched arm to the blue disk humming quietly on the pavement. A grin tore its way across Cy's face. Kneeling down he picked it up, and the sound of a heavy truck filled their ears as it chugged around the bend. Two burly men stepping out, one lifting up his hat while examining the damage.

"What would ya like us to do 'mister?" he asked his accent thick from living in the country before moving. Cy looked to him and smiled.

"Just take it to the metal plant. I have what I need."

Raven smiled.

* * *

><p>Danny landed in the lab, and opened the computer database checking the portal log. It was empty.<p>

"Shoot."

Unscrewing the lid, he emptied the Thermos and shut the portal off. Walking out into the den, Fixit looked up from his book, and Danny noticed it was the financial records.

"I completely forgot about that. When are our taxes due?"

"Next week, I took the liberty of filling out the forms. They're on your dresser for review."

"Thanks," Danny replied offhandedly while pulling out the buzzing communicator.

"Yeah?"

"Raven said you'd fill us in on Skulker," Robin demanded, irking Danny, didn't the teen know how to ask, nicely?

"I did say that, I'll be there momentarily."

The screen went dead, and Danny clipped the device to the back of his belt – he'd modify it later.

"Fixit?"

The robot set the black book aside and looked to the teen who was deep in thought.

"Yes?'

"I need you to see if there's been any power fluctuations in Jump also look at the outlining areas."

"I'm assuming I'm looking for ecto-energy."

"Yes, it will affect thermal, and power plants. Also check for unusual weather patterns, electrical storms, swirling clouds, power outages."

"Very well, how big?'

"Portal big."

Fixit's eyes widened but he nodded and Danny took off, heading for the Tower where he found the team reclining in the living room. He transformed and landed in a chair, scaring Beastboy.

"Jeez dude, give us a little warning."

Danny raised an eyebrow and chuckled, waiting while the Titans situated themselves.

"Sorry."

"Who was that ghost?" Robin asked.

"His name is Skulker, the Ghost Zones 'greatest hunter'," Danny replied sarcastically.

"But…"The teen trailed off his ice blue eyes misting over.

"But?" Beastboy prompted nudging his friend. Bringing Danny back from wherever he was.

"Sorry, Skulker is just the tip of a very nasty iceberg. By himself, fighting is bearable but when he employ's his services, things get messy. Not to mention what happens if something catch's his eye," Danny said his eyes shifting over to Cyborg, the mechanical teen rubbed his chin thoughtfully not noticing the look.

"He did mention something about the war. Just like Vlad Plasmius."

"It has to do with me breaking the treaty. I got caught in the Ghost Zone and now the ghosts can resume trying to kill me."

"Why were you in the Ghost Zone?" Robin asked, Danny snorted.

"Saving Fixit from his curiosity."

"What exactly caused the treaty?" Raven finally asked, and Danny grimaced.

"It's not one of my prouder moments," he spoke looking out to the ocean, taking a deep breath to steady himself Danny began lowly.

"I'd snuck out of the hospital to avoid Vlad, the social workers, and pretty much everything. I wanted to see Clockwork…I wanted, jeez, I don't even know what. When most of my enemies surrounded me, I asked them to leave me alone…" a decrepit smile curved Danny's mouth and he looked up his bangs shadowing his eyes, "Walker said something to me, I don't even remember what, but I snapped."

The Titans held their breath, and Danny wrapped his arms around his chest, not in any way defensive, but protective. Beastboy felt like his friend was holding himself together. Danny refused to meet any of his friends' eyes, afraid of what he'd find what they might see.

"By the time Frostbite calmed me down, I'd destroyed two thirds of the Ghost Zone. I also couldn't speak for two weeks. Clockwork was the one to step in and create the treaty. He gathered the major powers of the Ghost Zone – mainly the people who didn't like me and got them to agree to the terms.

You know, it probably wouldn't have worked if Vlad hadn't signed it," Danny felt his gut clench at that. He could still remember hearing the man's words and they burned down his throat like venom, _"if it will protect you, I'll sign anything."_ Danny had punched him in the gut for that, since he couldn't yell at the man, and Frostbite had to hold him back in his arms while the other yetis asked the elder half-ghost to leave.

Those wounds were still raw, and the teen could still feel the chasm in his chest from Vlad trying to act like his father. Like he cared past something other than his selfish ambitions, like he didn't regret all the pain he'd caused Danny. And hating himself for it, Danny wasn't sure if the pain in his chest was from Vlad's actions, or from the fact that no matter what, he couldn't forgive the man.

"Guess this means the ghosts really hate you," BB said trying to lighten the mood.

"No more than usual, I mainly bruised their pride. But I understand if you would like me to leave. The ghosts are after me and they won't hesitate to drag you into this, Skulker almost did tonight."

"It won't matter," Raven said, "We've already been seen with you and Skulker has established that you now live in Jump City so it would be foolish to leave now."

"And besides, we're not letting you fight on your own," Robin stated fiercely.

"We're not going to leave you alone. Even if I have to get used to holding an ecto-gun," Beastboy proudly said, flinging the gun around his finger. Raven shot him in the butt with black magic, and Danny felt the strangled knot in his chest begin to unravel and his muscles seemed to melt as the tension drained out of him. Silently, he let the friendly banter wash over him, and when Cy punched Robin, he suddenly remembered the energy blast.

"Oh, Cyborg how come Skulker's attack didn't work on you? The white blast acts like a stun gun, if it had hit me I would have been paralyzed until I released the energy back as lightening," Danny explained, making that connection in his head between the energy and his new power for the first time.

"My sonic canon is a storage of positive ions that absorbs and emits massive amounts of energy. What Skulker stuck me with was negatively charged, since you said it paralyzed you, my guess is that the ions are imbalanced and affect the nerves electrical signals. The way my system works is that my body turns and returns positive and negative imbalances and stores them and once their balanced I release them."

"So you're a conductor and a self-sustaining power cell?"

"Pretty much, although I do need to recharge my systems…" Cyborg described but trailed off as Danny stood up and started pacing.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, his eyes serious. Danny paused mid stride and looked at his hands before he thrust them out twice before giving up.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Beastboy asked.

"Trying to release lightening."

"What?!" The Titans screamed.

"Not in the house!" Robin screeched his voice unnaturally high.

"Friend, I do not believe the rough housing of that level is acceptable. Cyborg has already asked me to not do the wrestling, I do not think the lighting would be appropriate!" Starfire said floating up to him.

"Sorry, I figured it wouldn't work. This power is new, I got it down in the sewers when I attacked Slade, and so far I've been able to summon lightening only after I've been blasted by those weapons."

"Wait, this power is new?" Robin questioned, Danny nodded and went back to staring at his hands. He missed the looks the Titans gave each other.

"Perhaps, this lightening you speak requires more than just a thrust of your palms." Starfire stated. Danny looked to her and beamed.

"You're right, when I developed my ice powers I had to go to Frostbite for help…ok so it was more like he saved me so I didn't turn into a popsicle but I needed a teacher…"Silently, he began running over all of his limited amount of allies who used lighting.

"Gah, I can't think of anyone!" Danny yelled.

"Don't worry, you'll think of someone in time," Starfire said, the halfa face palmed.

"Duh, Clockwork would know who uses lighting. Plus it's been awhile since I've visited him," Danny blushed when he remembered he'd told the man he'd see him on Saturday and that had been about a month ago.

"If you go see him, take Raven with you in case the ghosts decide to attack." Robin ordered, Danny looked over to the girl and nodded.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning then."

"No!"

Everyone jumped when Starfire yelled, she flushed.

"I mean, can you not perhaps wait till the next day?"

"If this is a new power, Danny needs to master it as so as possible, Star. Especially if it's his only defense against those ecto-neutralizers" Robin explained.

The girls face fell but she agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow at around ten then," Danny said looking over to Raven before leaving.

"I can't believe he has another power!" Beastboy exclaimed, waving the ecto-gun around.

"His powers aren't what I'm concerned with," Robin answered, speaking more to himself rather than Beastboy, when the team looked to him curiously, he expanded.

"I'm worried about what Vlad said, how his powers wouldn't come easy, we need to look out for him." The team all silently agreed. After a moment, Beastboy stretched his arms and yawned.

"Well I'm gonna see what's on TV."

Starfire yanked the gun from his grip and handed it to Robin who nodded in thanks. Both teens flopped on the couch, and Robin turned to head to his study. Cy looked to Raven.

"So, you wanna help with the car." He asked lightly.

"I'd love to." Everyone split up to go their separate ways when the reporter's voice caught their attention, the caption below reading: New Titan or New Spook.

"That's a good question, Cindy." Springer said, his brown hair styled perfectly as he stood in front of Crash Alley. "We've been getting reports all day of this new mysterious teen who's been spotted with the Titans, and it wasn't until he appeared with Beastboy early this morning that our suspicions were confirmed. Danny Phantom, is officially here in Jump City."

"Let me get this straight," Cindy questioned back in the news room, her panel next to Springer's. "Danny Phantom, the 'alleged' hero of Amity Park is here? I thought he was a criminal? What are the Titans thinking?" She berated.

Robin bristled at that, how could they assume they knew everything about Danny.

"Well Cindy, you're partially right. Danny Phantom has been accused of several crimes, such as bank robbery, kidnapping, destruction of his local town Amity Park in North Dakota. And get this Cindy, turns out the kid isn't even alive, according to reports he's what one would call a ghost."

"A ghost?" Cindy scoffed.

The report continued, flashing to pictures of Danny fighting. All of them were in Jump City, but some were from Danny fighting in Amity, and Robin felt his anger rise as the reporters continued to scoff about ghosts.

"But that thing, ghost… doesn't even have morals, let alone humanity?" Cindy said, and Robin saw red.

"Beastboy, turn that off," he snapped. Raven placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait."

"Well, I'm not sure Cindy, but from certain accounts in Amity Park, Danny Phantom was indeed a hero, and he's working with the Titans. Either way it will all come down to their decision, and of course the ghost's as well."

"I wonder if the Justice League will get involved? After all, this ghost certainly seems volatile enough to merit their intervention," Cindy said offhandedly. Springer laughed and they continued to banter.

"Who knows, right now we're awaiting the official report of the Teen Titan's leader himself."

Beastboy turned off the TV, and the remote snapped in two from his grip.

"They, they called him a _ghost_," he spat out venomously, "like he was just some piece of shit!" Starfire wrapped her arms around his trembling frame and Robin winced. Knowing all too well how close this hit to home for the young Titan.

"Beastboy, Starfire, I want you guys to rest. Play some video games, cook us dinner, do something other than think about this. Raven, Cyborg, go work on the T-Car and enjoy yourselves," he ordered turning away.

"What are you going to do, Robin?" Starfire asked, Robin turned around and met four pairs of helpless eyes. The fire in his heart blazed.

"I'm going to make sure the world knows exactly who Danny is," he stated and with this he stormed out. First things first, he'd have to stop the Justice League from interfering. Although he seriously doubted if they'd come down from their space station. He would however, have to worry about Batman.

But he would call and schedule a press conference, and he would protect Danny. Because he was a Titan, but most importantly Danny was his friend. Looking out the sun was rising, blending the violets into blues and making the ocean shine brilliantly. Nothing like the chaos beginning to brew.

In Amity Park though, darkness was stone black and thick. The sky overcast in smooth rain clouds as if a rock had settled above the town and in a dingy apartment the window was open to a single bedroom welcoming in the sight. Letting the rain filled smog sprinkle in and splatter on the rotting wooden floor. But Valarie Grey paid no mind to it. Instead she continued to sharpen her blade and in a quick slice the TV split cleanly in two sending sparks flying in all directions, like splattering blood.

"I've found you," she snarled, her eyes were blazing.

"Valarie?" Her Dad yelled, having heard the broken machines cries of pain.

"I'm okay!" She called and a dark smile danced across her face.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	23. Chapter 16: Forever in a Day

_Now I might have a chance..._

"_The crimson-stained sunshine seems to touch everything,__  
><em>_I cannot see the future, and the past is so frightening,__  
><em>_I see that the present, is just as I imagined,__  
><em>_But is it for me anymore?"_

_~Fuki, Mori_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 16: Forever in a Day

Her Mumbo alarm went off at nine-thirty, and Starfire couldn't quell the excitement coursing through her. Jumping out of bed, the Tamarnien grabbed all the colorful packages into her arms. Giggles traitorously escaping her mouth while she stealthily dashed down the halls, cradling the bell necklaces carefully, the sounds whispering softly as if stirred by the wind.

She headed for the door, Starfire paused, she really wanted to contact Danny and ask him to come over, but he had a store to run, and needed to prepare for his trip with Raven today. Stealing herself, Star swore that she would give him the necklace as soon as he returned. Even if it meant she wouldn't have one for herself. Walking down the stairs to the common room her heart jumped in her throat, she opened the doors to the bright streaming day and let all of her joy out.

"Happy Blorthog!"

Her eyes widened as she took in all of her friends, separated and disjointed. Raven was reading on the left, a visible tick in her eye, the TV was running showing the video game Beastboy and Cyborg were fighting over, since only one controller could be found and loud music blared from the stereo in the connected kitchen where Robin was sulking. Starfire stepped in, it was clear the stress was high.

"C'mon Beastboy, give me that thing!" Cy yelled yanking the game controller.

"Dude, I'm in the middle of a game, Cyborg."

"Yeah, my game, 'cause it's my turn!" he snapped. Star was confused, yesterday everyone was fine. The car was finished, dinner had been made, and Robin had promised to make sure no one harmed Danny, so why?

Star walked into the room, the bell necklace's melody still being heard over the pounding bass, pasting on a smile she set to work.

"Friends, we must frolic and leap in glorious celebration for today is Blorthog! The Tamarnien festival of friendship," she announced. When no one responded Starfire dropped all of her packages, and held out the necklaces to Cyborg and Beastboy who were wrestling on the half circular couch.

"Joyous greetings friend, I, Starfire, give you this Tanabla as a symbol…"BB wrapped an octopus tentacle around Cy's throat and pulled him away.

"You're going to pay for that, you little grass stain!"

Star jerked back in surprise, as Beastboy flipped onto the top of the couch and resumed his game laughing manically. She tried again.

"Many blessing friend, may your ears be filled with sugar and…"

"Beastboy!"

The changeling growled, "Look, I'll give you back the controller as soon as Raven gives me back my nail clippers."

Cyborg barreled into the teen, and Star looked at Raven and said nail clippers suspended in black magic floating next to her.

"Not gonna happen. How else am I supposed to keep your toenails off the coffee table," she said this without looking up from her red bound book, but as she shifted, it was obvious her mind was counting down the minutes to ten o'clock.

"Happiness and delight friend, on this wondrous day I wish you sunshine and bunny…" Star trailed off from the glare she got before Raven looked over to Robin, who was the main culprit annoying her.

"Robin, could the music be a little louder? I can still hear myself think."

Starfire turned to him, and the vein in his forehead pulsed.

"I only turned up the music, to drown out all the yelling!" he screamed, breathing heavily. No one knew he'd stayed up all night practically debating with Batman, well, more like he started yelling, and Batman was debating. Not to mention all the bureaucrats he'd had to deal with here in Jump.

Starfire felt something akin to exasperation build in her chest, she couldn't believe this, one night! And everything was treading on ice, and to make matters worse it was on Blorthog. This couldn't be happening, not on this sacred day. It was asking for trouble, it was…

Beastboy dodged behind Starfire, and Cyborg accidentally snapped the necklace in her hands. No one paid it any mind but Starfire, who watched in horror as the silver bells carefully crafted from stones only found on her world, clattered to the carpet, and the single black twine holding them together fluttered down after them. Tears collected in her eyes, and desperation filled her voice.

"Stop!" She screamed, and everyone jumped. The music shut off from where Robin had accidentally hit the power button, Cy and BB froze, the controller dropping from their grip, and Raven's magic gave out as she stood up in panic and confusion from Star's outburst. The girl stood in the center of it all, her breath coming in shallow gasps before she collected herself.

"Friends must never behave like this, and especially not on Blorthog. Do you wish to invite the Wreckma's?"

Cyborg stood up, while BB scratched his head.

"Gesundheit?"

Starfire explained, her hands clasped over her heart trying to hide how truly fearful she was right now.

"On my world, Wreckma's means the drifting. The point at which close friends begin to drift apart and their friendship, begins to die."

"Aw c'mon, Starfire?" Cy said in disbelief.

"We are so not wreck whatevering," BB replied in comfort.

"We're getting on each other's nerves a little, big deal?" Raven commented.

"Yeah, this is just typical roommate stuff. We're not going to drift apart, Star. I promise. We'll all be friends forever," Robin explained, is voice firm.

Star tilted her head to the side, "forever?" she whispered. The clock on the oven beeped, it was ten.

"I need to go."

Robin nodded, and Raven headed for the door. Starfire jolted in shock.

"Wait, friend Raven. Please tell Danny that I wish to give him one of the Tanabla's!"

Raven met her eyes and smiled, "of course." Pulling up her hood, a jet black bird formed around her and Raven left. Robin's communicator went off, the red T blazing.

"Titans, trouble." He, Cyborg and Beastboy took off. Starfire let her eyes skim over the fallen beads before her eyes became electric green, and she followed after them. Sadly, she realized, only four were now left complete.

* * *

><p>Raven landed outside of the bustling shop and walking in she found Fixit behind the oak counter. He looked up from the register and motioned to the door behind him. Giving her thanks, Raven didn't even pause as she opened it and descended down the steps. The Titan wasn't sure what she would find, but in light of the fact that Danny still was a teenager, this was…impressive.<p>

In his dream, she hadn't had time to properly take in his home, but now she could. The carpet in the circular hall was thick and muffled any sounds she made, and even though it was white, the girl found it to be a nice contrast to the two dark brown doors on either side of her. There were no doors separating the kitchen and living room from what she could see, just beautifully carved arches that led to marble counters and cooking appliances and the deep blue living room, where Danny was walking out of the black door, checking his watch.

"Hey Fixit, is Raven here…yet?" The halfa paused mid stride, and Raven held his gaze, daring to comment on her tardiness.

"You're late."

"I was held up. Starfire wishes to give you a Tanabla in honor of Blorthog Day."

Raven had the immense pleasure of watching Danny stutter in confusion, before she felt merciful. Walking up to him she placed her hand on the black doorknob.

"The Tamarnien Festival of Friendship."

Blue eyes widened in understanding, "oh".

* * *

><p>The alarm had been tripped at the Museum, in the historical time collection. Clocks of all sizes, paintings, and jewelry all dedicated to the concept of Time hung around the walls, and were displayed in glass cases designed to electrocute anyone who attempted to steal the priceless relics. And two guards had already been frozen in place by a man in gold and black armor. He was of Asian descent and had a long black beard on his narrow face. He smirked at his victims before turning back to the clock, glazed in gold, the top of it showing the moving tumblers and gears, yet the face remained frozen, touched by some unnatural element. He looked at it with hunger in his eyes.<p>

"I didn't journey back in time one hundred years to squabble, I came to steal. The clock of Eternity, valuably in the past, priceless in the future."

Robin let one of his blades fly, and the man stumbled back in shock.

"But for the present, you'll keep your filthy hands off it," Robin growled, balancing on the metal railing. Starfire, Beastboy and Cyborg behind him.

"The Teen Titans?" The man exclaimed in amusement, "This is a treat. I've read all about you in the historical achieves. And now you're all history!" His two shoulder weapons fired and red thermal beams exploded.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled leaping into action, the room filled with smoke and Warp easily rebounded Starfire's attacks and Cyborg's canon. He laughed when the lion charged and was met with electricity from his wrist ray. Robin felt his breath coming in gasps and he stood, ignoring the burn in his chest from where a red ray had hit him.

"Robin?" Starfire said, panic in her voice. They were losing to this man, his technology was too strong.

"Call Raven and Danny, we need everyone here," he ordered.

The white jewel on Warps head plate fired, and Cyborg was slammed into the wall a timer strapped onto his chest.

"He's draining my power cell!" Cy yelled in horror, pain searing through him.

Starfire pressed the emergency beacon.

* * *

><p>Raven waited patiently as Danny adjusted the portals settings before turning around and changing into Phantom. But at the same time she felt panic begin to curl in her stomach. She was going to meet Clockwork, Master of Time and even though Danny said nothing but good things about him, Raven couldn't help but feel apprehension. What if he brought her fate up? What if he would end her, like he nearly had done to Danny?<p>

"Ready to go?" he asked. Pulling her hood up, she didn't let any emotions slip past her mask.

"Yes," both stepped forward and their communicators went off.

"What's going on?" Danny asked flipping it open and noticing that Raven's red jeweled clasp was flashing red.

"It's the emergency frequency."

"Let's go," Danny ordered.

"Cyborg!" Robin shouted, and he charged forward. Throwing two razor sharp disks, the man chuckled.

"You cannot defeat Warp. I am from the future," his one disk cut through Robin's two, and the teen barely had time to dodge the projectile. He felt it slice past his cheek, and a thin line of blood was drawn, before it exploded behind him.

"And you relics are one hundred years out of date," Warp stated, stepping forward his hand passed harmlessly through the glass and he pulled out the Eternity Clock. Turning, he placed one hand over the white disk on his chest and a black hole opened up clockwise, blue energy crackling around it. The Titans froze behind him, unsure of what he was going to do.

"Ta ta Titans, I have enjoyed our time together but a very bright future awaits me."

Robin let out a growl and prepared to leap, when Starfire's eyes turned electric and she surged forward and knocked Warp backwards into the vortex. Her arms wrapped around his waist.

"Starfire!" Robin jumped, his arm outstretched but he was met with air and quickly the teen flipped to avoid crashing into the ground and when he turned around the portal was gone.

Thousands of clocks surrounded Starfire and Warp surreally, their ticks and tocks spinning around making a strange melody of rhythm and song as the two struggled against the other.

"Let go!" Wrap demanded, struggling to keep his grasp on the artifact.

"You have endangered my friends, and ruined Blorthog!" she screamed, her arms twisting the metal, bending the material painfully into his skin.

"Stop," Wrap ordered, panic entering his voice, "if you damage the suit before we reach my future…" Starfire grasped onto the strange circular device in his chest and pulled. Warp screamed as it snapped off with ease and white light shot out, blowing the man into the clocks and Starfire felt gravity beginning to pull her down into blackness. She screamed until the snow absorbed her fall. Starfire rolled onto her knees and shivered, the sky was grey and murky, casting everything in hues of blue and black.

"What has happened? Why is it cold and where are my…" She trailed off when the metal of the Tower caught her eyes. It looked cold and worn, no longer brilliant in the snow covered ground. It seemed like an industrial relic, a memorial long forgotten if the broken windows were any indication. Standing, Starfire hooked the device to her belt and flew to the rusted doors. Prying them open she walked up moth eaten stairs.

Her mind was turning. This was impossible, it rarely ever snowed in California, especially near Jump, so why? The living room doors had been wedged shut and it took all of the Tamarnien's strength to shove them open. The place had been attacked, giant holes ripped through the floors from someone crashing down, and the window looked like someone had been smashed into it. There had been a battle. And Starfire felt the color drain out of her face as she walked down the small set of stairs, heading to the demolished kitchen the sound of a bell rolling across the floor made her pause and looking down…

"Oh, X'hal," Starfire whispered, bending down she gently placed one broken bead from the Tanabla in her palm watching as it cracked and crumbled from being disturbed.

"What ever happened…" Realization dawned, and she felt tears prick in her eyes, for the attack must have taken place right after Blorthog. A red eye glistened behind her, and Star's heart lurched in hope.

"Cyborg? Thank goodness you are…" She stopped when her star-bolt illuminated the red eye to be a strange mechanical crab, multiples of them coming from the walls.

"Eek!" Star fired, and more kept coming, not attacking, but at the moment the girl couldn't get the thoughts 'bug' and 'must squash' out of her head.

"Yo! Who's up here blasting my…" The man at the entrance stopped yelling when he noticed who she was. The pipe in Cyborg's hand clattered to the floor.

"Starfire?"

Starfire felt her breath catch in her throat watching as Cy placed his hands on her shoulders to assure himself that she was real.

"I don't believe it, you haven't aged a day."

The teen couldn't look away from her friends' battered frame. His mechanical body that once glowed in blue was now dead and grey, making his red eye stand out vividly. The hard white platelets protecting his chest rusted and disused, his left arm was bandaged keeping the circuitry in, and his left leg was nothing more than a wooden prosthetic attached to his thigh and boot. Thick cords ribboned out from his back like the machines she had seen when attached to lifeless hospital patients. But what made her heart shake was his human face, which was unbearably exhausted. Lines turning down his mouth and making him appear much older than his actual age.

"Cyborg, what has happened?" Star asked, her palm coming to rest on rough skin, "why are you…"

"Old?" He finished, her thumb tracing the wrinkles under his dark brown eye, he smiled kindly before he moved away, mindlessly pushing the debris away to give himself something to do.

"That's what happens to folks when you go away for twenty years," he stated.

"Twenty years?" Starfire exclaimed her head began to swim.

"You disappeared Star. That battle with Warp, that was a long time ago. You fell through a wormhole," he straightened the couch that Raven had been sitting on that very morning.

"And…well, welcome to the future," he said, looking out to the snow covered city, the water so frozen, three feet of solid snow now covered it.

"The future? But I damaged his technology?" She whispered pulling it off her belt, desperately shoving it in Cy's hands, silently begging him to tell her it was a dream. Cyborg took it, and turned it over.

"Warp was planning to jump ahead one hundred years, right? Looks like you stopped him at twenty," he stated giving it back. Star didn't think this was possible.

"Still I am confused, please, why are you in disrepair?"

The mechanical man looked down at his broken and hunched appearance.

"Let's just say, things haven't gone so well since you left," he whispered and with this he collapsed on the broken cushion the cords groaning in strain.

"But, what of the other Titans? Where are our friends?" Starfire asked her voice cracking. Cy let out a soft breath that fogged in the chilly night.

"The Titans are history, Star. Your friends, aren't friends anymore."

Dread washed through her like water, and the acceptance in Cyborg's voice made anger flare up and Starfire desperately fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

"No," she denied backing up clutching Warp's strange device, "you're wrong. Everything is wrong, how could such terrible things…?"She gazed down at that device noting the crisscross of wires beneath it.

"Warp. His interference in the past must have changed our future," Starfire stated. Cy looked at her in pity and resignation.

"Star, I don't think…"

She wouldn't hear any of it. "He caused all this badness to happen, he created this technology, and he is the one who can make things right," Star flew up to her friend and looked him dead in the eyes, and Cy couldn't crush the hope that shined there. Not when he hadn't seen it in twenty years.

"We must find Warp, you will help me?"

But it looked like he had too, "I wish I could," he turned his gaze to a dead machine, "my last power cell burned out years ago. I tried adapting this new stuff to my old circuits but…I can't leave the Tower, Star. I'm obsolete."

* * *

><p>The wind felt the same as it did in the Tower, cold and biting as Starfire flew over the city. She'd left Cy behind.<p>

"_Maybe one of the others can help, I can tell you how to find BB and Raven, but not Robin. We lost touch years ago, if you're looking for him, you're on your own."_

"_And friend Danny?"_

"_That's something none of us like to talk about."_

Starfire landed in the hard packed snow where she witnessed two children decked out in bright colors and metal tipped hair throwing snowballs into the one lone circus cart. The children wandered off and the green pig sat down and sighed. When he looked up, Beastboy changed, his hazel green eyes wide in shock.

"No way, it's you? But how?" he breathed, gripping the metal bars, and again Starfire gazed at her friend who looked like he was fifty instead of thirty-four. He was balding from the stress, and his once lean frame had given way to a pot belly. She noticed there was nothing worth value in that cage except his combat belt, leaning on a hat stand, and her friend.

"I require your help."

"What kind of help?"

"The future is not as it should be, we must find Warp I will free you from this…"

"This cage isn't to keep me in!" Beastboy shouted backing away from the bars in fear, "it's to keep those maniacs out!"

Starfire's star-bolts died and she stared. Where had all his fierce determination gone?

"Look, after the Titans broke up I tried the whole 'solo hero' thing, got my butt kicked a lot. So now well," he turned in to a rooster, but Star got the message. "Besides," he said smiling, "I'm in the showbiz now."

Starfire lowered her eyes, hating what had become of her friend. Silently she took off not daring to look at the sign that read: the One Man Zoo, Amazing Freakish Wonder.

Landing in the run down Asylum was her next stop and Starfire pushed open the door to a brightly lit room. Compared to the dark dank hallway the Tamarnien was momentarily blinded and there, standing in a long white robe, was Raven.

"Raven? Raven, it is Starfire, your friend."

"No, such, thing," Raven mumbled her voice sounded broken and hoarse from disuse.

"Please Raven, I…"

"Just another figment, don't even look," Raven spoke to herself.

"You must listen, I am here because…"

"You're never coming back! Go Away!" The girl in white spat, floating away. Starfire jumped.

"It has to go away, just like before. Just like all the others."

"Your mind," Starfire whispered in realization, she stepped forward her hand outstretched.

"Without friends you must have…" a black barrier stopped her from reaching Raven. Starfire turned and left. The door closing and momentarily, she needed to lean on it to stay up right, the hall light flickering as snowflakes flitted down into the building. Starfire pretended it was rain.

The streets were coated in snow, left untouched, no one having the strength to come out and battle the elements. Starfire walked down one of the main streets, arms wrapped around herself in a vain attempted to stop the biting chill when the thermal blast exploded inches from her and she was thrown back.

"What's the matter dear? Have I come at a bad time?" Warp asked looking down at her from one of the buildings. He began to fire once more, and Starfire dodged, trying to return fire that was merely absorbed by that blue shield. Rage and helplessness bubbled beneath her breast, but she kept firing until two red blasts slammed her into the freezing snow and a crater became her bed. Groaning, Starfire sat up, when the thump of boots landed beside her she looked up at Warp with electric eyes but paused in shock.

"You have also become old," she stated noting that the twenty year old man now looked forty.

"That's what happens when someone steals my vortex regulator," he snarled before holding out his hand.

"The regulator if you please, I really must get back to my future."

Starfire stood up with inhuman speed and held one glowing fist to the device.

"If you ever wish to see your future, you will repair the damage done to my past!" She ordered, the heat from her fist melting some of the snow around them. Warp merely laughed.

"Damage? Silly girl, there is nothing wrong with your past. One cannot _damage_ history. Because history cannot be changed."

Starfire recoiled as if she'd been slapped, but Warp was far from finished. Instead he raised his hand and revealed the Eternal Clock and continued, "I went back in time to steal this because history says it disappeared, and history says it disappeared because I went back to steal it. Past, present, future, it's all written in stone my dear."

The star-bolt died in her hand as she looked down to Warp's regulator, and he took it from her hand, before pointing his wrist ray at her heart.

"And nothing you do can ever change it," he sneered, the weapon crackled and Warps eyes flickered up before he was grabbed and thrown into the shadows screaming. A figure flowing after him silently, moving with the grace of a lethal predatory. Warp hit the alley wall, and Star stared in shock before the person unleashed two flaming disks. The fire, dancing around Warps shield cast the man in hues of black ink. The figure lunged and Warp sank into the ground, letting the fist connect with snow. Starfire approached the alley, unsure of who saved her until she heard his voice.

"It's good to see you again."

"Robin?" Shock and disbelief coursed through her and she never thought her friends voice could sound so different, yet the same. It was a mix between a baritone and a tenor, and if it had been any lower, Star wouldn't have recognized it. But still, the pitch regardless of how different, the way _he _simply talked to her. Starfire knew she'd have known that this was Robin.

"I haven't used that name in a long time," Robin answered, his form still shrouded in darkness. He took a step forward into the dim light, but Starfire still gasped. If she hadn't thought Robin looked attractive before, which she did, than she certainly would now. At present, she couldn't feel the cold.

"Call me, Nightwing."

* * *

><p>The city wasn't changing as the day went on, it still stayed as dark as night from the overcast clouds and the chill was present. Even here, deep beneath the city in Robin's, no Nightwing's new home. It was a cave. Large and well designed by nature and man as Star wandered around. She noticed the old case lit in white light, Robin's old uniform.<p>

A chill that had nothing to do with the wind swept over her, and a warm blanket settled over her shoulders. She looked over to Robin, but he had already turned away, his shoulder length black hair looking for the entire world like ink dipped art, and Star got to see the expanse of his back. The all black of his uniform blending in with the shadows, even his silver belt and gauntlets looked shadowed. He was taller than her now by a foot, and his chest had filled out into broad muscle, though she was extremely grateful it wasn't like those men she'd seen at the beach imitating the Schwarzenegger. Robin looked like he was designed to protect, not crush.

"I heard you've been looking for help," Nightwing stated, turning towards her, and she saw the set line of his mouth. The same as it had always been only now perfected, his mask sharper and the blue eagle on his chest seemed freeing and frightening all at once. And Starfire felt the same as she always did, like Robin could save her from anything and everything. Then she remembered he wasn't Robin anymore.

"There is nothing you can do, there is nothing anyone can do. The past cannot be repaired, the future cannot be altered. No matter how wrong it seems," she whispered as her eyes drifted longingly to the old suit filled with colors. She really did like his old uniform, even if this one made him look tougher.

"So, it's impossible?" Nightwing stated. Walking over to his computer board covering the entire wall, he pressed a button and an old communicator rose from the platform, he turned and smiled.

"Good. If memory serves, we've done the impossible before. I held onto this, just in case," he stated. Starfire walked over and hope only Robin could give her flourished. Reaching out, Nightwing pressed the emergency beacon, and the Tamarnien watched as her green chest jewel and her wrist jewels flared red. And across the town, a belt went off and Beastboy stared at it in shock, his heart pulling him forward to the bars. In the asylum Raven's clasp blinked and the woman gripped it in her hand, daring not to believe. And in the Tower, Cyborg's eye flashed and he stood from the rotting seat walking forward till he was held back in his frozen obsolete prison. Starfire lowered her wrist as the flashing died and her heart dropped. Nightwing gazed at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice no longer sounding any different from the old Robin. She'd already gotten used to it.

"Cyborg said that Danny was something no one wished to talk about, what has happened?" She questioned watching Nightwing visibly flinch.

"Danny is fine, I think. I just don't think he'll be able to leave."

Star watched as hands clenched into fists, "a lot happened, we had no way to prepare and I guess you can say things really spiraled out of control. When the smoke cleared, none of us could stand to be in the same room as the other, especially without…" Nightwing's voice died in his throat and his hair slipped past his shoulder concealing his eyes, Star wondered if he picked that habit up from Danny.

"Without what?" She pressed, her hand resting on his shoulder. Fitting perfectly in between muscle and bone, Nightwing turned to her and his eyes burned, even through his mask.

"Without you," he turned away and headed for the mouth of the cave, leaving Starfire to wonder just how much he'd suffered.

* * *

><p>The communicator went off, flashing red on his belt.<p>

"Do you wish to go?" The elder ghost asked. The halfa looked down before shrugging.

"We need to finish up here," he whispered, but the soft sound of wind chimes filled his ears. Lowering his hood, the young man revealed snow white hair.

* * *

><p>The Museum was quiet, having long been changed into the Metro Art Technologies, more guards frozen in place as Warp repaired his regulator, welding it back onto his suit, humming all the while.<p>

"Tick Tock, just a few more seconds and I shall finally be…ah!" He yelled as the flame was thrown from his hand, and Nightwing caught his staff, looking down on Warp from the railings like he'd down all those years ago. Starfire floating next to him.

"The future will have to wait," he growled, rage in voice, "you just ran out of time." Warp fired his shoulder blasters yelling in frustration. This time Nightwing threw his disks, he leapt out of the way allowing Starfire to cover them. Warp raised his shield and Nightwing smirked as it caved from overuse. The man screamed, and Starfire shot her star-bolts. Warp reflecting all of them but as she dodged, he missed Nightwing's charge, until his metal bow staff destroyed one shoulder blaster.

Warp turned to fire and Star blasted him in the back. Nightwing ran forward, and Warp fought him off, his suits strength overpowering the staff. Starfire waited moving to the side, star-bolts lighting her hand, she needed a clear shot. Nightwing took out the man's legs and walking forward, Star held out her fists. Warp glared defiantly before he redirected his last shoulder blaster and took out the roof above Star's head.

"Star! Ah!" Nightwing screamed as Warp hit him in the side with a wrist ray. The man retrieved his flame to make the final touches and was hit with blast from Cy's sonic canon.

Nightwing and Starfire beamed, looking over to their friend.

"Boo-yeah."

"Cyborg! You are repaired," Starfire screamed in joy flying over to the man. His abused armor now pale blue, Nightwing followed and the two friends smiled.

"Glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't have missed it. Now who said ya'll could start without me?" Cy asked. Starfire hugged him for that.

"So sorry, perhaps I should finish you first," Warp declared holding out the power draining timer in one hand and the Eternal Clock in the other. The lion he'd electrocuted twenty years ago slashed it to bits along with his chest armor, the regulator sparking dangerously and the clock clamored to the ground. Beastboy skidded to a halt and transformed back, took one look at Nightwing's hair and…

"Dude, that is so unfair."

Warp aimed his wrist ray at the team and black energy coated him from head to foot, before brutally slamming him down to the ground, and Raven swirled into existence.

"No one hurts, my friends," she deadpanned, but her threat was real. She floated over next to Nightwing and the Titans stood tall. Warp stood and activated the vortex, he turned and nostalgia burned in the back of everyone's throats.

"It seems my time has come!" The man shouted and Nightwing lunged, throwing a sharpened eagle. Warp retaliated, but his disk seemed to suddenly age and could no longer hold out against the black device. It struck the man's regulator and he screamed as his body began to shrink until only he disappeared and a baby remained. The Eternal Clock began to fall, light green energy encompassed it along with the regulator and they floated over to the Titans. Cyborg took the device while Starfire picked up the clock as it settled in her arms.

"Uh, thank you?" she said, a voice chuckled beside them, and Beastboy jumped as Danny appeared next to him.

"Dude! That's still not funny!" BB cried, and the halfa merely shrugged.

"Hello Starfire, it's good to see you," Danny commented and again, Starfire found herself thrown through the ringer, for the halfa had also grown. His face had thinned and he was leaner than Robin but still… dang.

"What is with you guys and long hair?!" Beastboy shouted and Raven smiled from underneath her hood. Danny blushed, and Star for the first time noticed his white hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. His bangs though, were still as spiky as ever and fell over his forehead in waves of white that made the snow outside seem dull. His suit hadn't changed except for the black cloak now resting over it, clasped together in his white symbol. Cyborg hooked up the modified and repaired regulator, and she heard the hum of power. Nightwing walked forward, and held out his arm and Danny took it in a warrior's handshake.

"Didn't think you'd make it."

"What can I say, the hero always arrives late," Danny joked.

Nightwing snorted and Danny gave a lopsided grin, handing the Titans leader a worn out looking communicator, which had been clipped to his belt and hidden beneath his cloak. Cyborg activated his canon and the closing vortex reopened.

"I'm redirecting the wormhole, Starfire, go!" he demanded and she looked to Nightwing who nodded, walking forward she clutched the clock.

"Please, does it have to end this way? Must this really be our future?"

Danny walked forward and lifted the silver Tanabla from around his neck. Hidden beneath the soft folds of the black material. Starfire felt her breath catch as he draped it across her neck, he smiled and his green eyes glowed. The light shining on a scared tattoo across his neck.

"Time isn't written in stone, Star."

And backing up he elbowed Nightwing in the back, but Starfire didn't notice the young man stumble. She simply saw _him_, and the pain still in his eyes, and doubt still existed in her heart.

"Is there nothing I can do to change it?" she begged, Nightwing placed a hand on the Clock and one on the necklace, and Starfire could feel the warmth radiating from him and the scent of warm spices filled her senses. The same as always and for the first time in years, Robin smiled.

"You already have, and I'm sorry Star, there isn't time, go," he encouraged and nudging her forward, she spared one last glance before stepping through the portal. The second she did that timeline ceased, and everyone disappeared, except for one smiling ghost.

"Clockwork!" An Observant growled.

"Oh dear," he sighed.

* * *

><p>Starfire felt the similar feeling of being in a surreal place, as the clocks ticked around her, then everything went black.<p>

"Starfire!" Robin yelled, his breath ragged. He stood up to meet the horror stricken looks of Cyborg and Beastboy.

"Wh-where did she go?" BB screeched and in a flash of green light Danny and Raven emerged.

"What happened?" The halfa demanded looking between the three of them, and he felt his mind freeze at the look of heart wrenching pain on their leader.

"Where's Starfire?" Raven asked and she lowered her hood, violet eyes burning in panic.

Robin looked away, "I…"

A flash of light appeared behind them. Whirling around, the teens watched as a black vortex formed, and Starfire tumbled out. Landing on her knees, her necklace singing quietly. The team rushed forward afraid she was injured when she didn't get up.

"Star, what happened?" Robin asked, she looked to see her teenage friend in the uniform she'd grown to love.

"History said it disappeared, but history was wrong!" she exclaimed and Starfire held up the Clock of Eternity and smiles broke across everyone's faces.

It was mid afternoon now and the sky was being cast in purple violet hues, the Titans and Danny were back at the Tower. All listening to her story of what happened, dread setting in, even the halfa felt it's presence like it was physical.

"Then Nightwing told me to go, and I entered the vortex.

"Whoa," Raven said in disbelief, Beastboy was nearly crying.

"Bald? You're telling me I'm gonna' be bald!" he screamed tears pouring down his face as he yanked on his hair.

"Well, if you keep treating it like that?" Danny commented. Cy elbowed him yet he couldn't keep the smile off his face. But he became serious once more.

"Guess you were right about all that Wreckma stuff."

"I don't want us to drift apart, does it all have to happen, isn't there anything we can…" Robin started.

"Our friendship has already changed Warp's past. I believe it can also change our future," Starfire explained, her hand resting lightly on the necklace, she looked over to Danny.

"And, Phantom told me that nothing is written in stone."

Danny turned beet red before rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I probably stole that from Clockwork," he mumbled before the jingle of bells caught everyone's attention, and they watched as the beads shattered on the floor were coated in black magic until Raven repaired them. A smile on her face.

"So, is it too late to do this Festival of Friendship thing?" she asked. Star's eyes lit up like the night sky.

"Oh it is never too late!" she screamed and her heart swelled, watching as Raven placed the necklaces on each of her friends. One for each of them and the one Phantom gave her adorned her neck.

Cy leaned over and very loudly yelled in Rae's ear, "Happy Blorthog!" and the beads on her necklace singed in appreciation.

"I thought it was Bloart hog," Beastboy commented before he smirked evilly, and looked over to the halfa who was rubbing his head in pain.

"Okay, I'm officially a wind chime," Raven stated.

Beastboy laughed and lunged, proceeding to torture Danny until the halfa overshadowed him and danced around like a ballerina while Cy recorded it.

Through all the laughter Starfire noticed Robin's smirk.

"So, Nightwing?" he said, Star barely stopped herself from giggling, watching Robin try out the new name. And while Starfire loved who Robin was now, she figured both of them could grow to appreciate Nightwing. After all, Robin would still always be _her_ Robin.

Joining in the festivities, the Tamarnien didn't even notice her affectionate, yet possessive pronoun.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	24. Chapter 17: A Dog of a Day

_Can I make this work..._

_"You destroyed me in every way by bringing me here… _

_But… you have also fixed me in every way."_

_~Pearl84_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 17: A Dog of a Day

Beastboy felt restless. It had been two days since Blorthog. Everyone went back to doing their own things. This presently was driving him absolutely insane. Since he had nothing to do and that was why he wound up in the basement slash work garage watching Cyborg tune up his T-Car through his iguana eyes. Climbing up the wall, he watched blue sparks fly until his feet lost their traction, and he fell right on the Titans arm. Maybe if he remained absolutely still Cyborg wouldn't…

"Ah!"

Never mind. Cy wrenched his arm away, and BB hit the wall. Cy hit the ground dropping all of his bolts and his blow torch. Beastboy changed back and smiled sheepishly as Cyborg turned red in anger.

"Grr…Beastboy!" he yelled, starting to pick up the fallen tools.

"Heh, guess I should have knocked first," BB admitted wandering up to the mechanical teen's side.

"So what's up Cyborg? Working on your car? Bet you could use a few extra hands," the changeling offered turning into a green squid and grabbing the tools. Cy didn't look up as he continued to gather the bolts and nuts into his arms.

"Nah, I can handle it," he answered while Beastboy picked up a strange funnel shaped tool, "besides, some of these tools are kind of danger…"

"Hey, what's this thing do?" BB asked, and Cy stuttered to a stop. All the tools clattered to the floor, and the green Titan pulled the trigger to the blow torch. Cyborg screamed again, flames erupted, and when the smoke cleared a nice black streak ran across his precious baby.

"Heh, oops."

Cyborg snorted like a bull preparing to charge, "Maybe you should go help somebody else."

Beastboy slunk away quickly. Sighing, he pulled out his communicator, debating whether or not he should call Danny. Then again, Robin said he was resting for two days before he and Raven headed to Clockworks.

"Robin!" Beastboy ran off to go find him.

The teen was on the banks of Titan's Tower working the training course, destroying targets left and right. He was moving as fast as an acrobat jumping and twisting with power, Robin grunted when his fist met solid wood. He was imaging it to be the reporters that would be coming at the end of this week. Two of which he'd watched on the news. He really wanted Cindy to be hanged. The wood splintered and broke in two. Robin spun preparing to kick another target into the ocean when Beastboy jumped in front of it.

"Hey Robin! Ah!"

"Beastboy!" the boy wonder shouted. Well, at least the changeling hadn't been thrown into the ocean. Robin knelt down to steady his friend who was teetering on his feet.

"Need a sparring buddy?"

"Sorry, Beastboy, this is more of a solo thing?" Robin answered. In truth, he couldn't grantee the others safety since every target was currently a reporter. But the boy wonder felt his heart twist at the tell tale signs of gloom as those two pointy ears drooped.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine."

Robin watched his friend disappear from sight.

Beastboy kicked the rocks on the bank. The ocean's spray swirling around him. It made his eyes burn from the salt, but the scent of the water raised his spirits. He couldn't give up. Dashing back inside, he grabbed the big bucket of tofu and headed off to find Raven and Starfire.

_"Azarath Metrion Zinthos,"_ the two floating girls chanted with a sparkling crystal ball resting on a three pronged podium in between them.

"Tell me Raven, does it always take this long to contact the spirit world?" Starfire asked, her hands hovering over the jewel. Raven's eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

"Not always Starfire, but it does require intense focus, absolute quiet and…"

"Dudes!" BB shouted his face popping up on the glass, being distorted and creepy. Both girls screamed and backed away holding onto each other for protection, until they realized it was Beastboy. He stood up and smiled showing off the massive Chinese bucket of Hong's tofu.

"Check it out, if I can eat twenty pounds of tofu in under an hour, I'll set a new world record, want to be my official witnesses?"

"Umm…"

"No," Raven stated, her monotone voice sounding like a hammer and a nail, with Beastboy as the coffin. With that, both girls kicked him out of the room. Starfire at least showed some sympathy in offering to go to the arcade of video games later. Beastboy wasn't reassured. Dejectedly, he dragged his feet to the giant double doors at the bottom of the Tower. Red seats lining the walkway, the room was large and could easily fit a small army or hold a social gathering. Most of the time it was empty, and a few times it had been used to hold press conferences. Beastboy always hated those. He turned around to look at his home.

"Okay well, if nobody needs me, I'm heading downtown. Crazy party in the big city. Anybody wanna come with? Yes, No? Anybody?" his voice reverberated off the walls, and BB turned to the blue cast sky and flew. Letting his wings take him anywhere, he landed on an old streetlamp and transformed. Hopping down onto the pavement the smells of food and oil washed over him. He walked with the crowd and found himself trotting behind some older teens who were excitedly talking about something. Beastboy didn't care. But he nearly laughed when he saw which store they walked into. It was plainly labeled Bookstore and walking inside the changeling felt some of his downheartedness fade. Walking up to the register, he tapped Fixit on the shoulder who currently had his nose in an psychology book.

"Hey, is Danny busy?"

"He's resting, but I have yet to determine why he avoids every question and God forbid, when the day comes _he_ decides to tell me, I will have found all the answers to the meaning of this blasted science," Fixit declared holding up the book and brandishing it like a weapon, his annoyance clear as day. Beastboy was shocked, and a little scared. The robot always seemed to have a bottomless pit of patience.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go see how he's doing."

Fixit waved him off, and BB high tailed it out of there while Fixit stuck his nose back into the book. His hand flipping the page with a little too much mad vigor.

Padding down the steps the changeling smiled,

"Hey Danny…ah!" he dodged when a piece of fruit shaved past his head.

"Oh, Beastboy? Sorry, I thought for a moment you were Fixit."

The teen looked at Danny then the fruit.

"What the heck? You don't assault people with fruit!" Beastboy yelled storming forward with the projectile orange. The halfa skirted around him before laughing nervously and held out a hand asking for his breakfast back.

"What would you suggest then?" he asked as BB set himself down at the kitchen table and propped his feet up on the wood. Danny didn't seem to mind the dirt falling off his boots.

"Well, I tried this whole motor oil balloon thing, but that didn't go over to well, maybe… some balloons filled with flour and water! That would be so cool, not to mention whoever got pelted with one would end up looking like Casper the ghost!" Beastboy rocked on the back of the chair legs. His voice getting louder until he nearly fell over. Setting his feet on the ground to steady himself, Beastboy looked up to Danny, who looked torn between laughing and winching.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The halfa schooled his face and smiled, throwing the peel of the orange into the trashcan.

"Yeah, just a headache."

"Oh, sorry."

Danny shrugged and munched on the orange. Beastboy watched the light cast a shadow over the halfa's wrist and reveal the scar that the changeling knew wrapped around his arm from hand to elbow. A heavy silence filled the air.

"Why did Vlad send those things after you?"

"Huh?" Danny asked, before he followed Beastboy's eyes to the scar, "oh, that. Vlad was up to his usual tricks, he found a way to short circuit my powers and force me to consider making him my new father and my Mom his wife."

"Ew."

"Yeah, I refused and well, let's just say he sent his pets after me."

Danny's hand traced the scar, and Beastboy remembered the smell in the air. Thick with blood.

"How did you get away?"

"Well, I kind of didn't. My Mom and I were stranded in the bleak Colorado Mountains. I could have overshadowed her and flown us home if she hadn't been wearing the Spectra Deflector. It electrocutes any ghost who touches the wearer," Danny clarified when BB gave him a confused look.

"Anyways, after Vlad told Mom his hearts desires she stormed out. We were camping in the woods when his pet bear brought me back to the mansion. Long story short, I lost my powers until midnight, while running for my life from him siccing his pets on me. After the bear sliced open my arm…" Beastboy flinched at Danny's words, "sorry, I managed to bandage it with my shirt, and make it back to camp I had a spare, clean shirt, don't ask, and ran off into the woods before the animals found me. Well, more like my Mom found me right when the ghosts did, she totally kicked their butts."

A forlorn expression crossed the teen's face, and Beastboy's ears drooped.

"What?" He asked making Danny jumped.

"Nothing, after she saved me, Mom said we had to go back to Vlad's."

"What? Why?" BB exclaimed, leaning forward completely hooked.

"His home was the only place with a phone, and pancakes…never mind. Basically she flirted her way in which wasn't hard. I stole the key from her belt that locked the Spectra Deflector, which she put on me the second we were out of danger. Not knowing that when my powers activated I'd get zapped.

I fooled Vlad into thinking I wanted him as my father, put the belt on him, exchanged witty banter while kicking his butt, and last but not least zapped him with his own Plasmius Maximus and got his wild beasts to chase him out of the house. Afterwards, we took Vlad's helicopter home. There wasn't a single phone in his house," Danny finished, and Beastboy found a new appreciation for his friend.

"Whoa."

Offhandedly Danny added, "And thank god my shirt had been covered in so much mud, otherwise my Mom might have realized the cut I lied to her about was really a gash."

Beastboy nearly fell out of his chair. "She didn't know?" he screamed. The teen sitting across the table looked at him strangely.

"No, why?"

"But, that was a really bad wound, how could she not…she didn't know you were part ghost," BB whispered his voice dropping in cold realization. Danny looked at his hands.

"She did, in the end, right before…" his throat clogged, and Danny got up, stretching his back, letting his muscles relax and a content sigh escaped his mouth, but Beastboy didn't rise. The cogs in his mind turning, Raven had said Danny graduated at sixteen, he didn't look as old as Cyborg, and the mechanical Titan was only eighteen…

"Danny, how old were you when this happened?"

"Fourteen, why?"

Beastboy felt the floor give out from under him. Danny had been fourteen. The age he was now. The changeling surged to his feet.

"I gotta go," Beastboy sputtered. Danny stared at him in confusion before rushing forward, the alarm bells ringing in the back of his head.

"Hey, Beastboy what's…" the halfa trailed off when he grabbed BB's arm and lightening zapped his friend. The changeling was blown into the main living area. Dazedly, he stared up at the ceiling while Danny rushed over to him in panic.

"Shit. Beastboy, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot," Danny panicked bending down next to him with outstretched hands before he remembered and let them fall to his sides.

"Cool painting," BB groaned, slowly sitting up. The halfa looked at him before he turned his face towards the ceiling where the golden glass windows showed the clouds moving across the sky opening to the heavens and following the curves of the wall.

"Tucker was a techno geek, he was good at drawing architectural structures and design schematics. He probably picked it up from all the blueprints we stole from my parents' lab. Tuck showed me the ropes after class one day since I kept doodling on the desks," he explained in a monotone voice, grateful for the distraction. Beastboy sat up, watching the pain etch across his friend's face. He really didn't like that expression.

Laughing he stood, "Well, I was going to ask you to party in the big city, but I don't think people would appreciate the power being blown out."

Danny snorted, "Or being shocked."

Beastboy truly smiled, "that too. I'll see you around 'kay?" The urge to leave was still strong, and the changeling felt grateful Danny didn't call him out on his excuse to leave.

"Sure, see ya."

When the door closed behind Beastboy, Danny face palmed.

"Great, Fenton, you already have one pissed off robot to deal with, and now you go and freak out one of the only friends you've got."

Sighing, the teen went over to the cabinet and pulled out two Tylenol, setting the bottle down he felt his mind wander. After Blorthog, he'd come home with a headache, probably from teleporting him and Raven to the Museum that had been bearable. He just slept the entire day until Fixit woke him up, and Danny nearly short circuited his mechanical heart from ten thousand volts of lightening.

So here he was today, avoiding Fixit who was pissed off at Danny for not talking to him, mainly out of guilt, but the robot didn't know that, and now he'd gone and scared BB. Looking down at his hands the halfa swore colorfully at the electricity dancing in his palms. It fizzled away into nothing, but the halfa wasn't going to take any chances, he and Raven were leaving tomorrow. He just had to avoid everyone for the day…he could do that. Danny downed two other pills.

* * *

><p>Beastboy wandered through the town, trying to quash the guilt at leaving his friend. But then he remembered the teen's story and the changeling wondered why the heck Danny even put up with him. The halfa had been fighting men like Vlad since he was fourteen, and he'd done it alone.<p>

Beastboy always had people beside him, first the Doom Patrol then the Titans. Of course before…the Titan shivered and buried all those memories of screaming fear, of fighting to survive, the names, the beatings, the sneers… "There's gotta be somebody who wants to hang out with me." The giggling of two blonde girls, dressed modestly and covered in face makeup reached the teen's ears, Beastboy really hoped those two normal girls would be somebody.

"Hello ladies, wanna go for a spin on my moped?" his bravado was strong. He wiggled an eyebrow for added effect. The two blondes giggled in disbelief.

"You have a moped?" The one with bright pink lipstick asked.

"No, but I'm saving up," he informed while he laid a hand on the table, and it slipped on the pizza, "woah!" The pitcher of cola landed on his head, both girls giggled, it felt like needles stabbing his lungs. They got up and waved goodbye. Beastboy stood, pulled the pitcher off his head and shook out his hair. The girls laughed again, and the changeling turned to look across the street where one brown fluffy dog was receiving their undivided affection.

"Lucky dog, sure wish I was…oh, duh!" he transformed into a green mutt with patch spots and short soft fur. He ran up to them and barked, his tail wagging, droopy ears perked forward. Beastboy stopped in front of the girls and waited.

"Uh, why is that dog green?" One asked, the other plugged her nose,

"And ew, it smells like week old pizza."

"Shoo dog, get away, go," she stated sticking her nose in the air. Beastboy felt his heart expand painfully in his rib cage before collapsing.

Robin walked into the Tower and accessed the news feed, running over the safety specks of the city. No unusual occurrences. Turning away, he looked at the atmospheric readings and paused, towel still in hand. In two strides, he crossed the room and double checked the readings.

"What happened last night?"

Beastboy wandered further into the park, his tail low and the wind lifted his short fur almost in comfort, he felt so useless.

* * *

><p>Robin had called in Cyborg to run over the specs when the alarm blared red alerting them to trouble in sector five. The park.<p>

"Alien space crafts, that hasn't happened in a while," Cy commented. Raven and Starfire joined them.

"It's still trouble."

"Where is Beastboy?" Starfire asked. Robin turned to her and shook his head.

"No time to find out, Titans move. Raven, contact Danny, we might need him on this."

They headed for the doors.

* * *

><p>The lonely green dog paused mid stride, a whine passing his lips. Why couldn't he do things by himself? Why did he always depend on others? A scuffling caught his ears and they twitched, turning to the noise Beastboy watched startled as a dog no taller than a cat barreled into him. Shaking his head the Titan sat up and looked to the other animal, the all green animal.<p>

Huh.

Beastboy shook his head and moved forward when the sound of whirling engines caught both their attention, and the other took off. The Titan looked up as a space ship, red and yellow, descended, while the bottom of it flashed a white beam of light, and BB felt like he got zapped by one of Danny's crazy lightning bolts again. He disappeared, and the ground beneath was charred black, his communicator smoking beside it hidden in a thick patch of grass.

Groaning, he woke up and stared around the cool black room, and he yelped when something heavy shifted on his shoulders. Beastboy backed up and felt the weight constrict around his neck.

"Bad dog, you should not try to escape," the towering thing boomed. His entire body was hidden in shadows from the one bright florescent light above Beastboy. Fear curled in his stomach and he pawed at the collar, he shook out of that form and smiled sheepishly.

"Um, sure you got the right dog?" he asked, his hand yanked at the collar again. The thing was beeping red. The hunk of shadows merely glared at him. Beastboy stared back, and for the entire world, prayed this guy was friendly.

* * *

><p>The Titans headed to the last place the ship was spotted, in the park near the forest. It didn't take long to find the eight foot crop circle burned into the ground. It was still warm. Robin ran his fingers across the grass, wafting the smell towards him while Cyborg examined his sensors.<p>

"Word is it was some kind of flying saucer, exactly like the report," Raven stated walking up, her cloak flowing around her. Robin stood up and dusted off his gloves.

"Whatever it was, my sensors can't track it, didn't leave any kind of trail."

Robin's eyes widened looking at Cyborg before turning to the circle, "But something got zapped, question is what?"

Starfire who had been examining the sky felt her foot crunch on something, lifting her purple boot she gasped and bent down to pick up the fallen communicator.

"Beastboy."

Cyborg took it from her hand and smelled it before giving it back.

"It's BB's alright, smells like tofu."

"What about Beastboy?" Danny asked landing in the field looking between the team members.

Starfire grabbed the device and hugged it to her chest. "Oh, I fear our friend has gotten the zap," she exclaimed, the halfa flushed.

"What? But I said I was sorry! Wait…"

A bark was the team's only warning before Raven was bowled over, a small green dog licking her face and nuzzling her throat. Everyone stared, and the half-demon contemplated magicing Beastboy to kingdom come.

"I think we found him," Danny stated, and he quickly held up his hands in surrender when Raven glared at him. Starfire plucked the green dog from her friend and hugged him.

"Beastboy, you are unharmed," she happily hugged him again.

"Where have you been?" Cyborg asked while the team crowded around. Danny hedging closer since there was no way he'd risk bar-b-quing his friends. Beastboy merely barked covering Starfire in drool with his long pink tongue.

"Did you get a look at the UFO?" Robin asked, and Danny felt his mind stutter to a stop. He turned to look at the Titan and coughed a laugh.

"What?" Robin demanded.

"Nothing it's just UFO? Really? We've known about other planets, dimensions, universes for how long, and we're still sticking to the term UFO?"

Robin sighed dramatically, "Fine. Have you seen the unidentified space transportation vehicle?"

Danny tried not to smile, and Robin kicked him in the shin.

"Ow."

Beastboy wiggled out of Star's grasp and launched himself at Raven once more coving her in drool, his paws pressing down in some…questionable places.

"Don't make me send you to another dimension," she growled shoving him off of her. Beastboy decided to chase his tail.

"Alright, Beastboy, knock it off we have work to do. Beastboy?"

"Hey, is he alright?" Danny asked truly concerned. _Why wasn't he changing back?_

"Friend, why will you not speak with us?" Starfire questioned while the team hedged closer.

"Maybe he can't. Maybe something's wrong with him," Cy answered raising his arm to take a molecular scan.

"That's weird."

A speeding red car caught the dog's attention. He looked to the team members then Danny and snarled before happily taking off after the car.

"What the…I said I was sorry!" Danny yelled the Titans gave him the look. "Why are you looking at me like I'm crazy?"

Cyborg gave a curved smile, "'Cause you screamed to a dog."

"It's still Beastboy." Danny huffed. The glint in Cy's eyes never let up.

"Not to them," he pointed to the nice elderly couple sitting on a bench who were feeding the pigeon's white bread.

"Uh, sorry?"

"Never mind that, Titans we need to find Beastboy and figure out what's wrong."

They ran out of the park and into the city following the green blur and losing him in the traffic.

"Where did he go?" Robin asked scanning the sidewalk and cars.

"And what did he do to that car?" Raven questioned pointing to the Italian sports car currently missing a bumper, and the man weeping over it.

"Titans, split up and search, start with Beastboy's usual hangouts and fan out from there."

All four Titans took off leaving Danny standing there, "ugh, hangouts…right." He stood there for a moment longer before deciding to do an aerial sweep to avoid the civilians who were beginning to notice him. The search for Beastboy was almost as bad as chasing Mad Mod.

Every time one Titan would be searching around BB's hangout the little dog would jump them before disappearing. Robin felt the tug on his cape, Starfire had her boot stolen in the park, Raven kept getting molested, and Cyborg was used for…restroom purposes. He chased the little grass stain for half a mile with steam coming out of his ears for that.

And each time the Titans found him they'd call it in, and Danny would come flying, but by the time he got there Beastboy was gone. Leaving the victimized Titan to deal with the emotional trauma. It was getting ridiculous. The sun was beginning to set. They had nothing, and Raven was beginning to turn into a prune if this kept up.

Finally Danny saw Beastboy run into a dead-end alley.

"Hey, I know where he is."

"Wait for the rest of us, you'll need the backup," Robin answered over the speaker.

Danny landed at the mouth of the alley and kept one ear open to make sure BB didn't run away. Soon enough he was joined by the rest of the team, and they headed in watching their friend roll around in the trash.

"Careful everybody," Robin ordered. "We don't want to hurt him."

"Speak for yourself," Raven growled, and Danny feared for even his life.

Starfire plugged up her nose, "Ugh what is that smell?"

"Dog boy here confused me with a fire hydrant."

O.k. Beastboy was officially on both Cy and Raven's hit lists, Danny didn't envy the kid. When he told the halfa he was going for a night on the town, Danny hadn't thought he meant turning the town into an Animal House.

Beastboy stopped rolling around in the banana peels and looked to them. Everyone immediately raised their palms and started to slowly creep forward, Danny stayed towards the back not wanting to aggravate his friend.

"Easy, Beastboy," Robin cooed.

"We just wanna help," Cy continued moving forward. Then Beastboy burped, and he regurgitated Al Capone's bumper.

The Titans took one look at it.

"_EW!"_

All of them thought they were going be sick. Then Beastboy did something worse, Danny watched as his tongue extended out ten feet from his body to lick Raven. Star screamed, and Danny accidently released lightening into the ground. Raven had to spit out drool. BB then jumped down a bared drain by breaking apart like freakin' putty. Danny felt his head swirl, did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? Slowly, everyone walked up the to the sewer entrance.

"Ugh, o.k.?" Was all Cyborg could get out.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that's not Beastboy," Raven uttered wiping the drool away.

"Ya think?" Danny replied.

"And if that's not Beastboy…" Robin stated.

"Then where could he be?" Starfire finished.

The wind gave a violent roar, making the papers in the alley swirl like a mini funnel cloud, and the trees in deepest part of the park rippled and creaked. Their leaves scratching up against the red and yellow spaceship.

"Dude, for the last time, I am not your dog!" Beastboy yelled yanking at the thick metallic collar willing it to snap. All the while the overgrown toddler, who looked a lot like Cinderblock, smiled and giggled in glee. Beastboy really hated kids right now.

"You are funny, Solo likes you," he praised clapping his big rock hands. And were those yellow footie pajamas he was wearing? Beastboy felt his heart pound away in his chest and fear began to claw its way around the edges of his mind.

"O.k. I didn't want to have to do this but…"

Beastboy transformed into a saber-toothed tiger and lunged for the rock's nonexistent neck. The overgrown toddler pressed a switch on his hand held remote and volts of electricity shot through the tiger sending him gasping and twitching on the floor. Beastboy lifted up the red cord and pawed at it, his claws doing no damage. He transformed into anything he could think of, the red leash wouldn't break and the shadows started to sneer at him. Beastboy was beyond scared; he was terrified. He turned into a hippo than a fish and the collar still remained. The rock, called Solo, laughed in childish glee. Desperate, the Titan transformed into a pterodactyl and took flight, it didn't work and he screamed. His cry sounded musical in these vocal cords, and Solo's smile looked like it could crack open his face. The toddler stood and pulled the dinosaur into a bone crushing hug.

"You are not Solo's dog. You are better than Solo's dog," he exclaimed dropping a now human Beastboy back onto the floor. He landed on the dog bed. Solo handed him a bowl of food, and the Titan wasn't sure if his stomach could handle anything at the moment, plus it didn't exactly look like food.

"Oh, uh…thank you," he said taking the bumblebee chicken leg, and Solo looked at him like a kid at Christmas.

"You can change into any pet, any pet Solo asks?"

Beastboy really wanted to punch the kid, he wasn't some...the Titan breathed, he needed to get away. He needed to play it smart. The shadows around them reminded Beastboy of his times on the streets of how to con fools. He hoped it worked on trigger happy toddlers.

"Well, I don't mean to brag but yeah, I can," he said smugly leaning back onto the purple comforter, relaxing every muscle to make himself at ease. He needed to look in control and not look like his heart was about to explode out of his chest.

"Change!" Solo screamed clapping his giant yellow hands. Beastboy leaned forward his gaze intense, hardened.

"If I do, will you let me go?"

Solo nodded feverently.

Beastboy extended himself into a giraffe, and Solo screamed in delight.

"Change!"

"Ugh, hello? Aren't we forgetting something here?" he yelled pointing at the collar, o.k. conning didn't work on the mentally unstable…or underdeveloped. Solo frowned stubbornly, like a three year old about to throw a tantrum in the middle of Wal-Mart, and crap, Beastboy knew he was in trouble now.

"Bad dog! Solo said Change!" he clicked the button, and Beastboy screamed, his body convulsed and he changed a parrot.

"Happy now?" He whistled.

Solo laughed. "Change!"

_Click_.

A ram.

"Change!"

_Click_.

A mouse.

"Change!"

The torture went on and on, Beastboy lost count of how many animals he turned into too. He changed until Solo was practically rolling on the ground in glee. Beastboy hoped he peed himself.

"You're the best dog ever! And now you're Solo's new dog."

Beastboy felt the ground drop out beneath him. No. This couldn't be happening. Not now, not after everything he'd done to prove he was human. He survived being treating like filth on the streets. He survived being looked down upon. And now this, did the universe have it out for him? What did he do to deserve this? Anger clouded his eyes, and he turned human, glaring up at the seventeen foot toddler.

"Say what? Dude, I am no one's pet!"

Fat tears started to gather in the baby's eyes, and Beastboy had to remind himself that this hunk of rock wasn't like those hunters in his childhood. They knew what acts they were committing. Solo's only crime was that he couldn't get past the Neverland Phase.

"You do not like Solo's ship? You do not like Solo?"

He asked getting right up in Beastboy's face, and crap the dude could squash him like a bug. Or electrocute him. The Titan felt sweat begin to bead his brow.

"Umm…"

Solo smiled. "Good dog!" he answered when Beastboy didn't reply. Solo patted his head, and the changeling realized he probably just avoided being deep fried extra crispy.

"Now we go home."

Solo got up and headed to the control panel that looked like baby toys. The floor rocking with each step he took.

"Home?" Dread filled Beastboy's gut.

"Solo's planet, on far side of galaxy."

Beastboy felt his ears droop. He was so screwed.

* * *

><p>The Titans had split up again to cover more ground and still none of them could capture the green alien dog. Danny was about to start flying around the city looking for UFO's and Beastboy if they couldn't catch this dog soon. It also didn't help that his skin was humming with electricity.<p>

"You o.k. man?" Cy asked, pausing from his work.

"No, but I'm not going anywhere till we get BB back."

Cyborg gave him a searching look filing the information away for later as he restarted the flame torch.

"Cyborg, you almost finished?" Robin cut in over the communicator.

"Yeah, tell Rae she can get into position."

"On it," the line went dead and Cyborg finished up the device. He stood and looked over to Danny.

"You too man."

"What? I'm not the one getting molested."

Cyborg smirked at that.

"No, but doggie breath has been avoiding you like the plague. So, just in case."

Danny frowned.

"You can't avoid the plague."

"Smartass."

Danny smiled and did as he was told. The dog was smelling a tree right outside a café when Raven landed beside the bench and sighed.

"Uh, here doggie, doggie," Raven really didn't want to be here. The green dog turned, took one look at her and lunged. Starfire swooped down and dropped the solid cylindrical cage right in front of him. The dog yelped his momentum propelling him inside, he hit the glass hard as Robin slammed the lid shut. Cyborg and Danny joined the rest of the team watching the dog growl and turn himself into putty trying to get out of his new prison.

"Sorry, Fido, when Cyborg builds it, nobody breaks it," the man gloated patting the container, the dog merely glared.

"So what now?" Raven asked.

"We just have to figure out how he can lead us to the spaceship. I could do a chemical analysis on his fur, see where's he's been," Robin answered standing up.

"I can do a molecular scan. Maybe he and the ship have the same isotopic signatures," Cyborg suggested.

"Perhaps you could use your powers to communicate with the creature?" Starfire asked looking to Raven, the teen practically growled.

"I'm still getting his drool off my face. I don't want him anywhere near my brain."

Starfire hedged closer to Danny for protection. He didn't blame her.

"Uh, pardon me?"

Everyone stopped talking and looked down to the dog, who just talked?

"But I believe we might be able to help one another."

The Titans jaws hit the concrete.

"O.k.? Am I the only one who heard that?" Robin asked.

"You can talk? Dogs don't talk!" Cy yelled.

Fido scratched behind his ear dismissively.

"Perhaps not on your planet my dear fellow, now if you'll agree to release me, I'll be happy to help you locate my odious former master. After I escaped his ship, he pursued me here and mistakenly captured another green dog, your Beastboy I presume," he said Beastboy with air quotes, and Danny suddenly got the urge to punch the dog right in his green smarmy jaw.

"And you didn't tell us this earlier because…" Raven hissed, at least she was able to voice her opinion Danny seriously doubted the other Titans would have been able to at the moment. Especially when the dog smirked and said:

"I was having too much fun."

Oh, yeah Danny really wanted to hit him…the halfa paused. He bent down to the dog's eye level and glared.

"Why did you growl at me?"

The green dog's lips curled maliciously.

"Because you smell worse than graveyard dirt."

"Hey man, Danny doesn't smell bad." Cy cut in.

"He doesn't mean it like that," Danny answered his eyes never leaving the dog's black pupils.

"And if you try to welch out of this deal you promised us, I'll send you the Other Realm myself."

The green dog paled.

Danny hadn't been sure what the dog called the Ghost Zone but judging from his reaction, he got the message.

* * *

><p>The ship continued to hum to life, the monitor showing the power cell charging up pac-man style and Beastboy would have laughed. If every bar eaten didn't mean he was one step closer to Never Never Land. Beastboy started yanking the red leash.<p>

"Engine's ready, new dog. Time to go home."

"I am Home! Now let me Go!" Beastboy yelled pulling at the cord it snapped forward, and he fell down back into the cushion. The ship took off. They were rising, getting further away.

"Bye-bye!" Solo cried out happily. It stabbed Beastboy in the gut.

"See ya."

The ship suddenly dipped, then it groaned painfully before starting to descend back to the ground, protesting the movement. Beastboy felt his heart get lost in his throat. Solo screamed.

"No! Solo want up, not down," he continued to beat the controls, but the ship kept sinking. Starfire and Danny groaned, their arms beginning to shake against the strength of four massive engines. Star felt electricity stinging her nerves from Danny, but neither refused to move. She could handle it, and Danny knew that. So they continued to push downwards the engines flared and the ship began to move upwards again, they both shook.

"Oh, c'mon," Danny growled willing strength in his legs as they flew perpendicular to the aircraft. Black magic wrapped around one side wing, and Robin's grappling hook wound around the other as he, Cyborg and Raven pulled the ship. The Titans worked until they forced it to land. Raven slammed open the door with her magic.

Robin ran for the ships stairs and flipped out of the way as seventeen stories of a tall giant rock landed into the ground.

"No, new dog belongs to Solo! You go now!"

"I'm thinking you're the one who's gotta go," Robin growled stepping forward. Solo jumped high in the air going for a body smash.

"Titans, move!"

The team broke apart where the crater formed. Danny hovered next to Robin who pulled out his bo-staff.

"Danny, get Beastboy, we'll hold off rock baby here."

"Got it."

Danny flew into the ship as Solo barreled towards the leader.

The inside of the ship was pitch black expect for the one light source, and there struggling against a leash and collar was the changeling.

"Beastboy!" Danny flew over to his friend in seconds.

"Danny?" Beastboy's voice flooded with relief as the halfa searched for the release switch.

"Hang on. I'm going to get you out," Danny turned towards the control panel.

"No!"

Danny froze then whirled around.

"What?"

"Don't help me," Beastboy stated. Danny felt his mind reel.

"Why?"

"Because…" The teen trailed off, how could he say this to his friend. "Never mind."

Danny wasn't about to let this drop.

"No, you want me to let you rot here. Go ahead, enlighten me," Danny whispered, his voice laced with venom and disbelief, and god that made Beastboy feel like a jerk.

"Because I don't deserve it. Not from you," he couldn't meet those shell shocked green eyes.

"Why?" Danny's voice was still quiet all rage gone and something in Beastboy snapped.

"Because I shouldn't need your help! I've never fought my own battles. Instead I latch on to whoever's around me, and you don't need that. God, Danny you've been fighting the big baddies for what? Three years, and I can't even protect myself from toddlers or poachers who want me for nothing more than my green hide! I shouldn't need help. I shouldn't need to prove myself to them…I…" Beastboy couldn't finish, his throat clogged up and his head was spinning from too many emotions, and he was pretty sure he had salt in his eyes.

"You what? You shouldn't be afraid?" Danny asked, and Beastboy couldn't help it, he looked up to those eyes and into their understanding. "If you weren't then I'd say you're missing some marbles," Danny smiled sadly but Beastboy wasn't going to rise to that bait.

"I…you don't need to bother yourself with me."

Something flashed in Danny's eyes and then he was right up in Beastboy's face power crackling around him. The Titan suddenly wondered if this was what Cyborg was talking about when Danny got mad.

"I shouldn't bother with you? That's a load of bull. And your reasoning behind that bright idea is what? Because I've fought more bad guys than you did when I was fourteen? Well guess what, _who gives a damn_."

"But…"

"No," Danny cut him off and again the anger fled quickly as it came making the halfa's glowing green eyes seem overly bright. "Just, no. I was alone not by choice, and if I had had anyone besides that fruitloop, I would have asked to be saved every time. I was terrified out of my mind. I was alone. I had to protect everyone, and I couldn't…I…if I had…" Danny looked away the muscle in his jaw ticking, his eyes far away.

"Danny," Beastboy reached out but the teen floated away. He breathed than met Beastboy's eyes once more.

"I will always ask for help. I've been broken to many times not to."

Beastboy didn't know what to say to that, Danny's feet thumped back down onto the ground. The entire time he'd been floating, towering over Beastboy, it made him think of a big brother.

"I don't care what you think, you're worth my time. So suck it up and accept my help."

That sounded more like the old Danny and Beastboy found he couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, so what's the plan, dude?"

A boom outside caught both teens' attention, and Danny cursed at not paying closer attention to what had been going on. He looked back to Beastboy.

"I can't do much. My new power is preventing me from doing anything except use electricity so if you know where the release switch is…"

"I don't, but can't you just short out this collar?" Beastboy asked pointing to the device wrapped around his neck. Danny shook his head.

"I can't, you're attached to it, and if I do that, you'll get zapped."

"I'll be fine."

The earth rumbled outside.

"Just short circuit the collar."

Danny felt like the walls were closing in and Vlad's voice kept echoing in his head "you'll always be placed into the impossible situation."

The halfa shoved all those thoughts away. He could handle what the world was throwing at him.

"You sure?"

Beastboy's eyes were steel.

"I'm sure."

Beastboy could handle it.

Danny stepped forward and lightening crackled at his fingertips.

* * *

><p>The team had thrown everything they had at this hunk of rock, and no matter what they did he wouldn't stay down.<p>

"This isn't working we need…" Robin trailed off when an elephant charged and knocked Solo to the ground throwing up mounds of dirt. Beastboy changed back.

"You rang?"

Solo stood up and fumed, "Bad dog! Solo will punish you!" He pressed the button and nothing happened, he kept trying. Not knowing why until repulsed, Danny threw the collar at his feet and went to go stand by the other Titans. Solo picked it up then he felt a T-Rex breathe.

Beastboy attacked, and he didn't let up. He threw the toddler into the air, and the Titans charged. Cyborg and Robin kicked him mid air, and Star, Raven and Danny let their power soar, hitting Solo square in the chest. He crashed into the ground forming a giant crater. When the dust cleared, Solo sat up, big fat tears welling in his eyes. Beastboy almost felt sorry for the kid until a pink tongue shot out, and the collar wrapped around Solo's neck.

"Sit," the green dog ordered sitting by the crater with the remote as if he'd been there the entire time. "Stay."

Solo beamed and rolled out of the hole next to the tiny dog.

"Doggie, you came back!"

The green dog examined his paws.

"On the contrary, I am only here to retrieve my squeaky toys. I refuse to be your pet any longer."

Solo looked heartbroken until he had a wonderful I deal.

"O.k. Solo will be the doggie now, and you'll be the master," Solo got down on all fours and rolled happily barking, the green dog smiled in complete surprise.

"What? Oh, my…"

The Titans had no idea what to say. Or what was weirder.

"Come along, Solo. Time to go home," the dog said from inside the ship. Solo bounded up the stairs, and the ship took off leaving the team completely at a loss.

"You know, my Mom thought it was bad to let me ride shot gun when I was five," Danny commented eyes still looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, I think she was onto something there man," Cy answered. The two snickered while Robin walked up and patted Beastboy on the shoulder.

"Alright, Beastboy."

"Welcome back," Raven said colorlessly.

"Give me some love dog!" Cy answered now fully intent on welcoming the little grass stain back. Starfire gave him a hug and refused to let go.

"Friend, I am elated to see you. We have all missed you so."

Beastboy felt his heart warm.

"You guys, missed me?"

"Absolutely, who else is gonna help me wax the T-Car."

"And spar with me in the gym."

"And eat nauseating amounts of tofu with while Raven and I watch."

"What she said."

"And decide to swing by my bookstore to come up with pranks," Danny finished.

"Thanks guys," Beastboy smiled, and he really meant it.

A comfortable silence settled over the group then Danny remembered.

"Crap, I need to go see Clockwork now, this lightening power is really getting annoying."

"Yeah, dude, I'm surprised you didn't short circuit that ship trying to get me out," Beastboy smiled.

Danny gave him a half hearted glare, but Beastboy figured he was fine since it looked like the halfa was trying not to smile.

"You and Raven head out then, we'll see you later," Robin replied both Titans nodded before taking to the sky.

"Who wants to go for pizza!" Cy yelled, both Robin and Star agreed, and they began to walk away. Beastboy looked out at the dark sky watching the fading glow of Danny and Raven, he couldn't help but smile.

"Beastboy? Aren't you coming?" Robin asked.

"Thanks, but if it's alright with you, I've kind of had enough attention for one day."

No one had to say anything because they all knew what he meant.

* * *

><p>"I hear you're looking for a new apprentice," said a voice. Slade didn't bother to react, he simply stood his ground.<p>

"Oh, and who might you be?" he asked still watching the computer screen.

The ghost appeared behind him, his black boots landing on the soil, white cape flowing around him, in the darkness his red eyes burned.

"Just someone who thought he could help."

Slade turned to the man, his eye flashed.

"Aw, Plasmius, so good to finally meet you. I've heard all about you from Danny."

Vlad smirked.

"I didn't think the boy would talk about me." He answered, Slade hummed in the back of his throat.

"He didn't. However often times what isn't said holds the greatest power."

Vlad chuckled.

"Yes, but what the boy doesn't know about me could fill a book."

"Very well, and who am I looking for?"

"Someone uncontrollable, right now one of my pawns is driving a piece right to you. Consider her a gift for further endeavors."

Vlad raised a red palm and the screen changed over to a teen with blonde hair and blue eyes racing through the streets of Metropolis heading to the desert that would bring her here. Slade examined the girl, she held promise.

"Yes, well I believe Daniel will pose a problem. He seems to have solidified the Titans power. With him, I'm afraid this gift will be useless. The girl will meet him and undoubtedly stay."

Plasmius walked forward.

"True, but at this moment he is absent and will be for a couple of days."

"A golden opportunity."

"Indeed," Vlad smiled a fanged grin. He turned to leave.

"Oh, her name is Terra Ilona by the way."

The ghost disappeared in red smoke, but Slade never took his eyes off the screen.

"Well Terra, it seems we have a new player in town, and so little time to act."

Slade couldn't help but laugh as the girl continued to run.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	25. Chapter 18: The Shade of Terra Ilona

_When everything seems to be..._

"_You build up hope but failure's all you've known."~ Chester Bennington_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 18: The Shade of Terra Ilona

It wasn't her day. She'd been running for hours under the hot sun. Terra could literally feel the heat coil inside her, baking her organs and making it impossible to breathe without tasting the dry iron stale air. The dust swirled around caking her throat and she could feel the sweat evaporating off her skin. The ground buckled behind her and Terra stumbled, she had to keep running.

A roar and the giant scorpion rounded the corner. Definitely not her day. Its tail stabbed the ground and Terra felt her knees lock, she skidded across the hard packed earth, the silver butterfly clip in her hair falling to the ground. She reached for her only memento and the scorpion nearly crushed her hand.

"Run it is."

* * *

><p>Raven watched silently as Danny prepared the portal, typing in codes and entering the coordinates as Fixit hovered around the lab looking for something.<p>

"That should do it," Danny turned around, and Fixit was there holding out a Fenton cell and ear piece.

"In case you get lost."

"Right, because I'm the one who gets lost in the Human Zone's other Dimension."

Fixit rolled his eyes, but Danny took the devices none the less.

"Can we go?" Raven asked pulling up her hood and nodding good-bye to the robot.

"Yep, time to go see Clockwork. God, I hope he isn't pissed."

Raven leveled Danny a glare, and he cheekily grinned back.

"You Titans have made my life very difficult. I haven't been able to visit him in over two months."

Raven tried to hide her laugh.

"Yes well, you haven't exactly been a peach pie either."

"You like pie?"

Raven decided she wasn't going to justify that with an answer. Instead, she stepped through the portal.

"Don't wait up!" Danny called to Fixit. The portal shut off and the robot sighed.

"I swear I'm getting rust on my head."

He turned and picked up the book tilted: _Understanding Teenagers for Dummies_ and went to the living room to read.

* * *

><p>Terra launched herself forward, her tall thin frame aiding in speed and agility. In another life, Terra firmly believed she could have been a prima ballerina, her limbs were trim and held spidery elegance, and nothing on her looked overly done. In fact, at a glance most would believe her to be underweight. They didn't know she could practically soar across the room in one graceful leap of limbs. Not that big, giant and gruesome here cared. Terra could barely make out the water and Tower peeking out above the high cliff wall. She turned and skidded to a stop by the sharp rocks and flinched as the scorpion came into striking range.<p>

Robin and the team landed on the upper cliff wall.

"Titans, go!"

Terra didn't even hear them over the pounding in her ears. She felt the heat rolling off her in waves and the power beginning to seep out from her pores turning her eyes into pure gold. The air felt electrified, the ground trembled, and the Titans watched in awe as the pillar stretching across the Canyon shook and snapped, moving to Terra's will. She raised it with trembling arms, her hair whipping around her as the dust danced at her feet. The scorpion never saw it coming, Terra smiled.

"See ya."

She slammed her fists down, and the rock fell right on top of the monsters head, his tail flailing about before dropping lifelessly to the ground. Terra gazed at her handy work and brushed her long pale blond hair aside. Now her day was starting to look up. High up on the cliffs, the Titans were amazed with the shear power in her. Beastboy shifted out of his wolf form and gaped down at the pretty girl.

"Dude, she's right up there with Danny."

"She was not in trouble," Starfire stated, hovering off the ground.

"She was leading it into a trap," Cy finished. Terra looked up and waved before her blue eyes turned gold, and the earth raised beneath her making a bee line towards them.

"Question is: who is she?" Robin asked.

"I'd like to know," added Beastboy as his heart beat faster the closer she got.

Terra stepped onto the cliff next to the Titans and smiled.

"What? Haven't you guys ever seen a superhero before?"

Beastboy thought he died and gone to heaven.

"I'm Terra, by the way."

"I'm Robin and we're…"

"The Teen Titans," Terra finished giving Robin a fist bump and the leader felt a pit drop in his stomach, something wasn't right even though Terra seemed perfectly at ease. Maybe she was just easy going with her powers unlike Danny. Robin felt himself loosen up watching the teen make her way over to his friends.

"And you're Cyborg, Starfire and…"

"Boybeast! I mean Bastbood, no!" Beastboy felt his mind stutter and stop. And god, were his cheeks red?

"Beastboy?" Terra clarified, the changeling let out an 'eep' and he found himself looking up at her in his turtle form. She burst out laughing.

"Dude, you're hilarious!"

The world stopped spinning.

"You…me? I'm funny?" Beastboy saw hearts, and his knees went wobbly. Cy had to catch him, and Robin couldn't help but chuckle. Starfire could take it no longer, she attacked.

"Please, curiosity abounds, where do you come from? How did you get here? What is your favorite color? And do you wish to be my friend?"

Terra was sure Starfire meant for that to be four questions instead of one with how fast she speed talked.

"Um…Earth, walked, red and sure?"

Starfire felt her heart burst, and she happily hugged her newest friend.

"Hello, new friend!"

"How's it going? Can't breathe."

Starfire dropped her, and Terra worked the knots out of her crushed arms. Beastboy stealthy started moving closer.

"So what brings such a cool little chicky to our big city?"

"I go where the wind takes me, y'know. I get to see new places, meet new people, stop a few bad guys here and there."

"Cool," Beastboy would later beat himself up on his lack of vocabulary, but at the moment he still could see the wedding bells chiming around Terra's head.

Robin felt a hint of worry creep back in his mind.

"You mean, you don't have a home?"

Terra turned to him and spread her arms.

"The Earth is my home. I've been crashing in a cave on the other side of the hill."

Starfire jumped on that, "Unacceptable, I cannot permit my new friend to slumber in a lonely cave of darkness."

"I…have a flash light?" Terra stated although with Starfire gazing down at her, the teen suddenly felt like a deer in the headlights. Star used all of her alien strength to drag Terra forward.

"You will stay with us," she demanded, her voice brokering no arguments. It didn't help when Cyborg and Beastboy tag teamed her. Terra felt her resolve crumbling.

"Well, I guess I could stay one night," she mumbled. The four of them headed towards the Tower leaving Robin to stand by the cliff a look of puzzlement on his face. Turning he bent down to the ground shifting the dirt beneath his fingertips. The dead weight in his stomach wasn't letting up and a part of him was debating on if he should call back Raven and Danny so the two of them could give him the insight into who Terra was. He looked back to the Tower and sighed.

"Guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way," he whispered since calling Raven and Danny wasn't an option.

Robin stood and left, never noticing the ground he once stood on crumble and fall down the cliff face in a mud slide. Further up on the cliff, hidden in the shadow of a cave, Slade stood, his grey eye glistening.

"Don't get to attached, Titans. I saw her first."

He disappeared.

* * *

><p>The portal swirled, opening up right at Clockwork's doorstep, and Raven felt her breath catch in her throat. Her palms went sweaty and her heart started racing. Danny took a step forward and placed his hands on the doors swinging them open effortlessly. Raven suddenly wondered if accompanying Danny was such a wise idea. He turned around when she didn't follow.<p>

"Raven?"

Raven met his glowing green eyes and tried to get her emotions under control before she did something she'd regret.

"I'm fine. Admiring the wood work, that's all."

Danny grinned.

"Well c'mon, I hear there's marble inside."

"Those are rocks."

"No, I'm sure it's up there with maple and ash woodwork."

Raven felt her eyebrow twitch.

"Are you trying to pull one over on me?" she asked as they headed down the long hallway, reminding Raven of gothic styled churches, with its high ceilings and detailed clocks turning to a tune she couldn't quite place. It felt reverent. Holy. And she wondered how Danny could walk around this place and not feel its ethereal presence. Then again, he belonged here. Raven chanced a glance at the halfa, and she couldn't help but take in the purity of his aura, the way the air seemed to swirl around him and bend. The clocks around them seemed to slow and tick with their footfalls.

"Raven?"

"Huh, what?"

Raven looked back to Danny who was staring at her strangely.

"I asked if you were alright, you went all zen space mode on me."

She smiled; it felt tight. "I'm fine."

Danny shrugged and turned left down a hallway. Raven took a breath and followed after him as he opened two double doors with doorknobs carved as owl's heads. The Titan felt like she'd stepped into the Hogwart's library. Only this was ten thousand times cooler.

"Oh my god."

Danny couldn't help but smile.

"More like a Time Master with too much time on his hands."

"I prefer to think of it as adequate time management," replied Clockwork who floated over to the teens. Raven instantly straightened up while Danny smiled and floated up to the elder ghost giving him a quick hug.

Raven felt some of the nervousness leave her. After all, Danny's future had almost been as bad as hers would be. She watched the halfa pull back and smile apologetically.

"Sorry, I think I stopped your chest piece."

Clockwork chuckled, and Raven floated up, her eyes went to the centerpiece in the ghost's chest as the ghost re-wound the clock, his form shifting to his middle-aged counterpart.

"It appears another power has developed," Clockwork added dryly.

Danny snorted then a look of realization dawned on his face.

"Hey, did I just give you a clock-attack?"

Raven gave Danny a strange look, but the Time Master merely rolled his red eyes.

"No and Daniel, I believe you should introduce me."

"Oh, right. Raven, this is Clockwork the Master of Time."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Raven intoned, it was strange formally introducing herself to a child at the moment, but she took it in stride.

"Likewise."

"Not like you haven't already met her," chimed Danny.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine, why?" Danny quirked his head to the side in puzzlement. Raven looked at him a little longer before shaking her head.

"No reason."

Danny shrugged at Raven's odd statement and turned back to Clockwork who was watching the exchange with mild interest.

"So I was wondering if you could help me and my newest problem. Like say, pointing me in the direction of a teacher?"

Clockwork nodded before floating up to the massive clock face set in the wall.

"You will need to be taught under Pandora's guidance. She has the ability to control Lightning."

Raven quirked her eyebrow.

"You weren't kidding about Pandora?"

"Nope. And really, man if I had known that I would have gone to her in five seconds. I didn't know she could use Lightning," Danny raked a hand through his hair disheveling, the white locks.

"She is the daughter of Zeus. And actually, she used it after stopping the Box Ghost when he refused to apologize for stealing her box," Clockwork answered in his _you-should-have-known-that-voice, _Danny coughed.

"Right, she must have only used it once."

"She used it four times."

Danny stared, and Clockwork shifted into his child form. Raven decided to end the staring contest.

"Great, can we go?"

"Absolutely!" Danny exclaimed floating up to the clock. The Time Master chuckled, and the black hands began to swirl into another portal.

"Good luck, Daniel."

"Thanks."

Raven watched as Danny flew through, she stepped forward and felt a hand hold her steady. Ice gripped her heart and when she met those ruby eyes her father's four flashed behind her lids.

"You shouldn't worry. All things happen for a reason."

Slowly Raven began to thaw, unsure of what to do. Instead Clockwork decided for her, he moved back and grinned a wrinkly grin.

"Please come back soon to enjoy my library."

Raven nodded before moving forward stepping through the portal. Danny was waiting on the other side, hovering off the grassy ground. The maze and temples further up the path, again Raven was amazed by the beauty of the place. The way the liquid green air swirled around them with hues of purple being cast by the sun, looking up the Titan couldn't find said sun but it was there a mere speck in the distance about the size of the moon. The wonders of the Ghost Zone never ceased.

"What did Clockwork want?"

Raven shook off her awe and walked up to Danny's side.

"Just inviting me back to his library."

The halfa nodded before setting off, keeping pace with Raven who couldn't stop observing him.

"Normally you walk, back in the lab you did, as well in Clockwork's Tower."

Danny turned, his movements reminding Raven of Starfire when she was in the air only without the smile and happy atmosphere surrounding Danny.

"This feels natural. I don't really know how to explain it. When I'm out in the open like this, I don't know…it doesn't feel like I'm flying. More like I'm resting on a platform, or treading through water."

Raven lowered her hood and tried to wrap her mind around it. After about five seconds Danny's cheeks turned light green.

"I didn't explain that very well, did I?"

"No," Raven admitted, "but thanks for trying."

"Of course, it feels different where ever you are in the Ghost Zone. When I'm at Clockwork's or Frostbites it's easier to walk but places like Pandora's it feels easier to hover."

"Perhaps the ectoplasm is different?" Raven suggested rounding the corner around a bush.

"It's possible the properties are different, but ectoplasm tends to stay constant even when it's in different forms such as liquid, gas or solids. And as you can see, in the Ghost Zone, ectoplasm really likes staying in liquid form."

Raven nodded watching a cloud pass by her, they rounded the corner and were met with the white and gold pillars of Pandora's home. Some Athenian ghosts paused and looked at the two teens as they headed up the steps, but no one, not even the guards, tried to stop them as they headed into the temple.

"Pandora?" Danny called out, his feet hitting the floor making Raven wonder if he was doing that to be polite.

"Who dares call on Pandora?" A woman screamed, storming in with a flourish her eyes ablaze with the same purple fire setting on her crown. Raven took a step back as the woman descended the stairs. She was by far a giant, standing at least four stories tall holding her staff with one of her four arms draped in ceremonial clothes of royalty, a sword and daggers wrapped around her hips. She looked like a warrior and Raven now knew why humans would mistakenly call her a god instead of a ghost. But the instant she saw Danny her entire demeanor changed.

"Danny. Welcome back. I wasn't expecting to see you again."

"Well unfortunately you're stuck with me for a while. I kind of need help," he smiled gazing up at her. Pandora broke out into a huge smile and motioned for them to follow.

"Of course, make yourselves at home. We Greeks are known for our hospitality. Most of the time."

Danny and Raven trailed behind her as she led them further into the palace.

* * *

><p>"Dude, talk about making herself at home," Beastboy stated watching in awe as Terra devoured everything Starfire placed in front of her.<p>

Cyborg was starting to feel sick when Starfire walked up with her green-jello-intestine-containing food…thingy. Robin turned green.

"Might you now wish to partake of my homemade glorg?"

"No!" The three Titans screamed before Terra gulped down the pudding, she smacked her lips and savored the taste.

"Tastes like sushi mixed with ice cream, got anymore?"

Star snatched back the plate and zipped off saying she would go cultivate the fungus. Terra looked over to the boys and smiled.

"So, where's the tub?"

Beastboy waited an hour before he couldn't take it anymore, walking up to the door the changeling let out a breath and knocked, he could feel the condensation soak into his gloves.

"Terra?"

"Gi'me a second!" she called, some steam puffed out from under the door.

"Aw, you waiting by the door?" Cyborg asked walking up with a grin. Beastboy felt the tips of his ears turn red and he crossed his arms defensively.

"No."

Cy rolled his eyes as the metal door slid open to reveal Terra in a fluffy white robe and slippers, her hair wrapped in a towel, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, guess I was due for a rinse."

Both boys' mouths fell to the floor as they looked at the mud slicked tub covered in handprints and murky water. Robin had to mentally calculate how much repairing the bathroom would cost before he could forgive her.

"Mind if I use your sink?"

The team watched Terra wash her clothes in the kitchen while listening to her CD player, she looked content and at ease, and Robin was pretty sure she'd already won places in Star, Cy and BB's hearts. His own as well, if he was honest. And Robin had no doubts if Raven and Danny met her they too would fall into Terra's good graces. The teen made her way to the couch, her clothes hanging on the line to dry, and the second she closed her dark blue eyes she passed out, her pale blonde hair spread haphazardly around her, she even started snoring a little.

"Dude, I didn't even know girls could snore," BB whispered as he and the team made their way over to the kitchen table. Robin didn't say anything. He merely continued to observe her while Star moved to sit crossed legged on the table. Cy across from her and Beastboy between them.

"I wonder how long it's been since she's had a place to crash for the night," Beastboy wondered.

"She needs more than a place to crash," Robin interrupted looking back to them.

"She needs a home," Starfire answered seriously, and Robin didn't add the part that he was getting suspicious as to why Terra never lived anywhere for more than a couple of days. After all, if she was this at ease spending the night at the Tower, why hadn't she found a proper home a long time ago? Beastboy shook the leader out of his thoughts when he volunteered their home.

"She could stay here with us."

Alarm bells rang in the back of Robin's mind, but he ignored them. After all, when he first met Danny he'd held the same suspicions.

"Yes!" Star exclaimed her eyes flashing a thousand different shades of green.

"I don't know…" Robin found himself saying, but Cyborg knew what his friend was thinking and he decided to offer a different approach.

"She would make a good addition to the team," he pointed out and Cy watched Robin take this into consideration. Man, was he good.

"Maybe, let's ask her to train with us tomorrow. We need to see what she can do."

Beastboy and Starfire practically squealed in delight, and Robin couldn't help but smile at his friends' excitement. None of them realized Terra was still awake and that her heart was racing faster than when she faced off against that scorpion.

* * *

><p>Pandora needed a moment to take in what Danny had said. It was impossible, not with his core being made of ice…it shouldn't happen. Lightning for ghosts was created with a fire core, like hers. Not ice. Danny and Raven silently watched as the goddess gazed down at them, her mouth ajar, and her purple eyes wide.<p>

"Was it something I said?" Danny whispered to Raven who shrugged.

"Tell me once more child?"

Danny met Pandora's eyes curiously, but he answered.

"I've developed the ability to use Lightning." As he said this Pandora watched in shock when the boy's fingertips crackled, and Danny looked down and hissed.

"Shoot."

After some shaking of the hands the energy dissipated into nothing.

"Danny, this is not possible," Pandora's mouth felt dry admitting this, and it was so much worse when she watched Danny's eyes widen at the realization before it was replaced by fear and uncertainty.

"What?"

Raven too felt fear grip her heart.

"Lightning is a pure form of fire. You would need a fire core like myself in order to create it. And as you are aware you possess an ice core."

Raven cut in, "But he's used this power multiple times, all the way back when we were fighting Slade. Up until now it hasn't been a problem..."

"So how can me having this power be impossible?" Danny pleaded. The moment Pandora opened her mouth she knew it was a mistake because now she had two teenagers scared, and she could offer no solutions…the elder Athenian warrior mentally slapped herself. Quickly, she lifted her head in a beckoning motion and a guard rushed forward.

"Send a messenger to Frostbite of the Far Frozen Land, tell him he is requested to come immediately on the Great One's behalf."

The solider bowed an arm over his heart before he took flight. Pandora turned back to the Titans.

"Do not fear. We will sort this out but until then rest. I will explain everything later."

With this Pandora swept out of the room, she needed to think and judging by the look on Danny's face he needed to time to process this. Slowly Danny sank onto the marble seat in shock, and Raven focused on calming her mind.

The silence became deafening while the two waited and soon Raven felt the need to speak become too great. Sighing, she turned to Danny and prayed she could offer some semblance of peace.

"We will figure this out."

Raven praised herself at keeping up her monotone voice, but kicked herself at her lame choice of encouragement. Still, Danny couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his lips.

"I know. I only forgot what it was like not knowing how to control my powers, not knowing where they came from."

"I don't understand," Raven answered truthfully. Danny shifted before his green eyes looked past her towards the garden, his mind millions of miles away.

"When Sam and Tucker were alive, we used to train daily, we would work through the craziness together and then Frostbite came along and everything became a little clearer. Even when I developed my telekinesis and teleportation here in Jump, it came easy, sure it hurt like hell, but I never really lost control. Not like this… and I don't know, I just forgot this fear."

Gently, Raven placed her hand on his shoulder, sighing in relief when she didn't get zapped, and watched Danny relax a little.

"Now you have us."

He looked up to her with gratitude in his eyes.

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>It was dark in the Tower when Beastboy opened the living room doors, a blanket in his arms.<p>

"Hey Terra, I thought you might be cold…"

The couch was empty with the walkman left behind.

"Terra?"

Beastboy searched everywhere until he found her. The changeling felt his heart sputter to a stop watching Terra skip the rocks across the ocean, her eyes electric golden, then dark blue. It was as remarkable as it was terrifying. Mainly because she was the only girl who said he was funny. Besides Raven, but that was a _long_ time ago back before she got stuck living with him. He went to join her.

"So I guess the couch was too lumpy?"

Terra smiled and fired off another rock, it skipped five times before disappearing into the black depths. Beastboy picked up one and threw it, with a splashy plunk it sank. Terra laughed and handed him another rock. Together they watched it skip three times. He laughed, she sighed, Beastboy pulled a face, Terra pulled one back and both ended up laughing till their faces were red and neither could look the other directly in the eyes. Both settled for looking out across the sea to the fluttering lights of the city. Terra felt the need to run and the feeling to just _stay_, clash in her heart.

"…I can't stay," she found herself whispering, Beastboy felt his mind reel.

"Why not? You haven't even met Danny and Raven yet. And trust me you'll love them as much as you love me. Raven is dark and serious but she's cool and Danny acts serious but if you jump him when he has on this tight lipped furrowed eyebrow face, he cracks up and pulls out a witty joke that leaves everyone rolling on the floor in laughter."

Terra couldn't help but smile at Beastboy and his theatrical hand motions while he described his friends.

"They sound like great people. But love them as much as you? Impossible," she stated. Beastboy's bones melted. Weakly he managed to choke out the word 'really' before his tongue stopped working.

"Yeah," Terra answered looking to him. In the moonlit darkness her eyes were darker than the ocean. But Beastboy could still feel her sadness and that made his palms get sweaty from fear.

"Then, why do you want to leave?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably causing her hiking boots to scrape the rocks.

"Places to go, people to see," she answered leaning back on her arms to look at Beastboy who had his mouth set in a determined line, one fang poking out from his bottom lip.

"C'mon, you know you want to stay. We've got free cable, indoor plumbing, and all the tofu you can eat."

Terra felt herself laugh involuntarily.

"Tofu? You really know how to charm a girl. I guess I could hang out for one more day."

"Awesome!" Beastboy jumped for the sky, before he landed back on his rock grabbing his feet and rolling back and forth like a kitten. The crazy smile plastered on his face."We're gonna have so much fun. And I can't wait to see what your powers do when you really cut them loose." The rock beneath him shot upwards and splashed into the water. Beastboy fell backwards and tried to get the salty taste out of his mouth. Terra looked to him in a frightened panic.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm so stupid. Don't tell. Please don't tell."

Beastboy stood up and met her pleading eyes.

"Terra, it's o.k. You can't totally control your powers. So what?"

Terra's heart jack knifed in her throat.

"Promise you won't tell anybody. Ever."

She was right in front of him now, and Beastboy had to step back in order to not accidentally kiss her when he spoke.

"Sure," his answer sounded confused, but the changeling wouldn't betray her. Now if only Terra could fully trust him.

"Swear it," she all but growled, and Beastboy felt the hair on the back of his neck reach for the sky, but it was for Terra…

"O.k. I promise. But really it's no big deal." He quickly added.

Terra wrapped her arms around herself and looked away.

"If my friends knew they'd still like you."

"You just don't understand."

The waves continued to turn.

* * *

><p>"I'm afraid I don't understand," Frostbite stated walking around Danny with a critical eye before he turned back to Pandora who looked equally stumped.<p>

"How exactly is this possible?" he asked. Danny sighed, and Frostbite poked him with a claw.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"So you'd listen," the snow yeti replied while he walked over to the Athenian's five multilayer computer panels and holograph screen.

"Agreed. Danny posses only an ice core and so far no ghost with this type of core have ever been able to create and maintain the power of lightning."

"Indeed the ice yeti's core simply does not possess the ability to maintain the imbalance of electrons which is necessary to charge and power the purest form of fire."

By this point Danny was lying on his back looking up at the golden archways and letting Frostbite and Pandora hash out theories. His communicator went off and pulling it out he flipped it open to see Raven.

"Hey, found anything at Clockwork's yet," he asked sneaking behind one of the pillars to get some form of privacy. Raven shook her head from where she sat hovering in the library, books floating all around her.

"No. From what I can find all forms of electrical energy generated from water requires some form of heat which is given off by the machines being used to turn the currents and that causes…"

"Wait. Heat isn't the main source of Lightning," Danny interrupted pushing off from the pillar, he headed to the balcony watching the air turn, with a nagging feeling in the back of his brain reminding him of something so basic, so fundamental, he should…

"No. Lightning is created by…"

Danny cut her off, the second his mind made the dots, and he felt like he'd just skipped ahead by leaps and bounds.

"Electric charge. Electricity. It's not…I have to call you back. Raven, you're a genius," Danny snapped the Titan Communicator shut and bounded around the corner back to where Frostbite and Pandora were still pouring over countless theories.

"It's not because of my ice core."

Both ghosts turned to him in astonishment, and Danny felt breathless for some reason but right now it didn't matter.

"What do you mean, Great One?"

"I mean it plays a part of course, but what you said earlier, how the ice core of all ghosts can't properly generate and maintain the charge needed for the stabilization of electrons…"

Frostbite took a step forward his mind begging to catch up and Pandora felt her lips begin to part in shock at what Danny might be implying.

Danny practically flew around in a circle from excitement and relief.

"No full ghost with an ice core can because like in a cloud once the water re-freezes over from the returning draft in the cloud it releases heat as a byproduct needed to keep up the storm…"

"And no yeti can use heat. We lack its absence and the ability to utilize it."

"Exactly."

"However Danny, what is allowing you to create this charge?" Pandora asked her curiosity growing by the second.

"It must be my human heart, my nervous system. It, along with my ice core, is literally creating a storm cloud inside my body. And when my electric field overpowers the atmosphere around me."

"You release the charge exactly like lightning," Frostbite finished, Danny nodded and looked down at his hands.

"It also explains why here in the Ghost Zone I haven't released any powerful strikes, the atmosphere is denser."

Both ghosts nodded at his conclusion, and Danny felt the need to sit down. However as Frostbite began to work through the equations he felt dread settle in.

"Danny, how are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?"

"Any shortness of breath?"

"I don't think so."

"Pressure on your chest."

"No."

While the signs all pointed that his heart was fine, the snow yeti couldn't shake the feeling that something might be majorly wrong.

"Lack of energy?"

"Uh… after teleporting Raven and I to the historical museum I slept for the day, if that's what you mean?"

Pandora stepped in. This was an area she knew about.

"How about changes in your emotions?"

Frostbite looked to her and raised an eyebrow along with Danny. So the goddess explained.

"Fire and Lightning deals with control and what you feel determines the strength and burn of the fire's light. Your newest power should give you clues, what were you thinking about or feeling when the Lightning was at its strongest?"

"I wasn't paying any attention at all. I tended to be lost in my memories most of the time, I think? Then it started happening all the time," Danny rubbed the back of his neck, his green eyes clouded while trying to think. Pandora was about to press the matter when he remembered.

"It was strongest when Fixit woke me up. I wasn't feeling anything."

He looked to her, and the Greek goddess nodded.

"That is good. It means your new power is working as it should. I will explain everything, come."

Danny was about to leave with her when Frostbite stopped them.

"Wait, Great One. Even though how this power formed isn't a mystery anymore, why it formed still is. We need answers, this power should be impossible even for you."

Danny nodded solemnly, green eyes vivid.

"Alright. What do we need to do?"

Frostbite gave him a toothy grin.

"Tests, of course."

Danny groaned to play off his fear. But his mind was already racing through the why's and how's and so far his conclusions weren't ending up the way he hoped.

* * *

><p>The Titans were on the rocky banks of the Tower. Robin by the controls of the obstacle course, Starfire, Beastboy and Terra standing below on the hard packed dirt watching Cyborg stretch his arms over his head and crack his neck.<p>

"You ready, Cyborg?" Robin called. Cy smirked.

"Punch it!"

"Countdown initiated."

The buzzer sounded, and Cyborg ran. He dodged the metal fists breaking through the earth, and the laser blasters with record time. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Robin who adjusted the course and raised the bars. Heavy metal doors shot up and slammed down with enough force to crush a person to dust. Cy felt the ground buckle beneath him as one slammed down.

"Ah!"

His balance was lost, and he tumbled right underneath the last one as it came down. Grunting, he took the force with his arms and lifted.

"Think of weight lifting."

The metal groaned and snapped as he released and jumped out of the way when it crashed down, sparks flying in all directions. The team cheered him on as he rounded the corner, exploding disks flew from all directions. Cyborg fired his canon destroying the ones closest to him before he jumped and landed on the finish line. Starfire, Beastboy, and Terra clapped their hands and jumped up and down and Robin let out a rare smile. Cy looked at his time and whooped.

"Boo-ya! New course record at two minutes and seventeen seconds!"

Robin rolled his eyes and leaned over the control panel.

"Yeah, you're the first one to go."

Cy gave him a friendly glare but didn't say anything.

"Okay Terra, ready to show us what you can do?" Robin asked while Cyborg made his way over to them. Terra gulped but nodded. Turning to walk to the starting line, she hoped they were ready to see it. Beastboy ran up beside her, a nervous smile on his face.

"You can do it. 'Sides, it's just practice it doesn't really matter if you mess up…"

Terra put on her goggles the second Beastboy turned red and started to apologize. She gave him a look and his ears dropped.

"Shutting up now."

He moved back to rejoin the cheering squad.

"Countdown initiated. Good luck, Terra." Robin called. Terra let out a nervous breath and shook her muscles.

"Don't lose control," she breathed, her fists lit up in gold, and the laser guns went off.

It was different from what Cyborg had gone through, and Terra couldn't decide if Robin was a genius (since everything that attacked seemed geared only towards her powers) or he was merely devious. She figured it was probably a little of both. Still that didn't stop her from destroying the obstacle course in record time. When Terra landed she was encompassed in a hug. Even Cyborg wasn't mad that she'd beaten him.

But Robin stayed at the controls merely observing. At the very beginning Terra had seemed afraid. Not of the course, but of her own powers and whenever she summoned the earth to her often times it resulted in the machines demise either through her own aim or luck. However, slowly she'd gained confidence till she practically soared to the end. Robin smiled when he watched Beastboy faint from Terra giving him a hug. He walked up to them and smiled.

"A little rough around the edges but you've got some real talent."

Terra's eyes sparkled.

"Ya think?"

"Sure with a little more training…" Robin's communicator went off and the team's beacons started flashing.

"Okay, why is everybody blinking?"

* * *

><p>Raven and Danny were in the library reading when their communicators went off. Danny flipped open the small screen and stepped back so Raven could look at Robin as well.<p>

"What's up?"

"Slade."

Both instantly straightened, and Terra was shocked at how the two teen's eyes darkened.

"Do you need us to come back?" Danny asked with Raven moving to put up the books.

"That depends, are you going to be alright?"

Danny shook his head.

"Right now, we're working on solutions, but it may take a while."

"In that case, Raven, I need you. And Danny, I want you to come back when you're ready?"

"Alright."

"I'll be there momentarily."

The communicator shut off and Danny looked to Raven, and she could see the conflict raging in his eyes between staying here and figuring out his new power or going and nailing Slade. In the end, he grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Get him."

Raven nodded and pulled up her hood the same moment Clockwork entered along with Pandora. The goddess waited in silence until the Titan departed before she turned to Danny.

"Great One, you left the palace?"

"Sorry, you and Frostbite got caught up in waiting for the test results, and I needed a break."

"Is everything alright?" She asked noticing the lines of worry pulling around the teen's eyes.

"I hope so," Danny stated looking past the double doors watching Raven step through Clockwork's portal.

* * *

><p>"So who's Slade?" Terra found herself asking while the team geared up.<p>

"Bad guy, way bad," Beastboy answered. Raven decided not to bother commenting on the new girl or even say hello. Instead, she went to stand by Robin and give him a brief report while he triangulated Slade's position.

"Thanks, Raven."

The Titan nodded and left the leader whose mind was already racing through the possibilities of how and why Danny's new power emerged and suddenly he found it harder to breathe. But he couldn't focus on that right now. He'd help his friend later when the city was out of danger, and Slade was behind bars.

"I've got a fix on his location. Titans, move!" He turned and raced out the doors pushing back his fears.

Beastboy paused by the doorway and turned to see Terra rubbing one of her arms nervously. She never moved from the spot. Indecision and doubt flooding her mind and heart.

"Hey, you coming or what?!"

Terra felt the smile split her face and she raced after them.

* * *

><p>Danny felt like his entire world was crashing down around him.<p>

"Are you sure?"

His voice felt scratchy and dry all of the sudden.

"We are Great One," Frostbite answered grimly. Pandora found the news to…she choked back a sob.

"Run it by me again."

Frostbite looked at Danny ludicrously, "Great One?"

"Again!"

The yeti ghost took a step back at the feverous glare in those green eyes.

"Your new power does not stem from your ghost half. It is brought upon by the alterations to your Human half which now is capable of handling greater amounts of electricity in your body. This was created when you stepped into the Ghost Portal. For you see, when a human being is struck with lightning or a massive electrical current often times it triggers a massive heart attack. Or if you think of the bodies electrical impulses as circuits in a computer, it fries the board and shuts off the entire device."

"But because I was in the Ghost Portal…"

"You were exposed to ectoplasm as well."

Danny dropped his head to his knees and focused on breathing.

"Great One?"

"I'm fine, keep going."

Frostbite nodded and continued.

"The ectoplasm entered your body right down to the atomic level. Essentially creating a new matrix which formed and overlapped your 'old' circuits. And as you are aware Great One, this is what makes you so unique, it makes you a halfa."

"But…" Danny added, this was the part he was dreading.

"But this power never would have formed naturally. It was created when you were attacked by those new stun guns that Walker and his goons use."

"Because they are designed specifically to harm me."

Pandora could hear the detached interest in Danny's voice, like he was simply talking about the weather and not his life.

"Indeed, Great One. The energy released by those stun guns is the exact same energy released by the portal. Electricity infused with superheated Ectoplasm. I believe your parents called it _ecticity_. It is the energy you use to stabilize your rings in order to change forms. The stun guns were designed to incapacitate and paralyze you. However what Walker didn't realize was the side effect…"

"Vlad."

Frostbite paused and raised an eyebrow. Danny looked up and smiled sheepishly.

"Vlad was the one who didn't contemplate the possible side effects. He was the one who designed those guns. I saw the blueprints on the green chip."

The yeti couldn't stop the growl that tore through his chest but stopped when the teen jumped slightly out of fear.

"My apologies. Vlad didn't realize that your human matrix uses a stronger electrical signal and is capable of absorbing a charge due to your altered DNA. Although, I believe your body can only do this when its _ecticity_ that hits you. And as you know that's very hard to come by, since it is only manmade."

Danny chuckled, "Yeah, not anymore I suppose."

The yeti sighed.

"No. I guess not. But, Great One, Danny, you need to understand, when you are struck with ecticity your human matrix absorbs the shock and stores the electricity and ectoplasm by breaking it down. But eventually the charge inside your body becomes too great and you release the excess energy as lightning."

"Great, so I only need to figure out how to avoid those stun gun thingies and everything will go back to normal."

Pandora stepped forward and frowned.

"I'm afraid not. Your human body has already adapted to using a stronger electrical signal. Even if you are never attacked by those stun guns again you will still bleed off the charge. This power will not go away."

Danny dropped his head in his hands and trembled.

"And since that's the case?"

Frostbite and Pandora looked to one another before the yeti answered.

"If not maintained properly and the charge is allowed to build while in your ghost form, your heart will restart which is protected inside your ice core. Either causing you to turn human or kill you."

"And if you _use_ your Lightning power in an excessive amount while in your ghost form, your heart will never restart and you will become a full ghost," Pandora finished watching the teen tremble and grip his sides. Feelings of dread washed over him, and right at that moment Danny wanted nothing more than to go find Vlad and kick his lily white…

"Great One?"

Danny jumped into the air and hovered there while the ghost yeti raised a curious eyebrow.

"Sorry, Frostbite, I got distracted."

Danny watched the yeti give a wolfish grin.

"It is alright, I assume you plan on kicking the crap out of Plasmius."

"I do. But first, Pandora can you give me a crash course on controlling my new power? After that, Robin and the Titans will help me figure out a game plan on avoiding those stun guns. And finding a way to monitor my heart."

The goddess nodded and both headed to the arena. Frostbite watching them go a reminiscing smile on his face. Danny paused by the arch way, "Hey, you coming?"

Chucking the yeti shook his head, "I'm afraid the last time I watched you train you froze half of my warriors."

Danny blushed bright green.

"I-It wasn't my fault…those snacks were horrible anyways."

Frostbite barked and waved goodbye and Danny disappeared around the corner. The halls were silent where the ghost king of the Far Frozen Clan stood.

"He is much improved. Not even six months ago the Great One never would have considered going to the Teen Titans for help."

"Indeed," Clockwork answered shimmering into view. Frostbite met his eyes and smiled.

"Danny is healing, the scars will remain but only time will tell." Clockwork spoke.

The yeti turned back to the pillars watching the tell tale flashes of blue light that was Pandora's power.

"Time is something that you have much of, my friend." Frostbite answered.

Red eyes looked ahead to watch Pandora and Danny fight, and he looked beyond.

* * *

><p>The explosions rocked the entire cavern of the diamond mine and the workers began to flee as the robots continued to advance. Robin and his team landed on the hard packed earth and he scowled at the Slade bots, but that's all he promised he'd do. He would control his rage, and he would not put his team through the same pain as before.<p>

"Tell Slade we'd like a word with him," he growled.

The mine turned into chaos as the team fought, and Terra couldn't tell you what was up or down anymore. She only threw any and all rocks on top of those things. The equipment in the mine groaned, the beams still waiting on the lift began to slide. Cyborg fought the drill coming towards him till Raven threw it off but the robots were still coming even as Beastboy backed her up.

Soon however, both he and Terra were being pushed into another tunnel. The beams fell and the resounding crack rebated all around the ground and the opening began to collapse. Terra felt her blood run cold, she through her arms out and her eyes went gold, the waves were to powerful, the rocks continued to fall on the two of them. Beastboy turned human and kicked the still advancing robots out back into the main area, he took five steps backwards when Terra felt something snap in the back of her mind.

"No, I can't control it!"

Her goggles shattered and the earth above them caved in. The last thing she saw was Beastboy being crushed.

_"Beastboy!"_

The team heard Terra scream, and Robin turned to the cave in and dread washed over him. The same dread that happened every time one of his friends was possibly dead. It consumed his senses. It clouded his eyes, and he ran skidding on one knee up to the rubble, yanking, pulling rocks away. To the others he looked in control, only slightly worried. But Robin didn't feel that way. Instead he was already seeing red and bones, he didn't stop till he felt the rocks shift and the green changeling emerged as a gorilla.

"Beastboy, are you alright?"

The boy nodded drowsily, changing back while Robin shielded him from the enemies' fire, relief flooding the boy wonders veins.

"Terra?"

Robin turned back to the fight.

"Go help her, we've got things covered."

Beastboy snapped to action and dove into the ground.

Terra ran through the tunnel, desperate to get away. She killed him. No matter what she tried to say to herself that thought tore at her like shrapnel. Her breath caught in her throat and Terra felt her eyes sting.

"Why can't I do this?"

The pounding of feet made her look up to the man with a mask on as he raced down another corridor, rage burned in her veins.

"Slade."

She tore after him and brought down the earth in front of him. Giving him only one exit and that was going through her.

"Looks like I've got you."

The man turned and tilted his head off to one side.

"Actually Terra…" Slade jumped in the air, landed behind her and swept her feet out from underneath her, "I've got you." He threw grenades down the empty hallway and cut off their only exit. Floor lights clicked on casting the man in bronze and black shadows.

"Now Terra, you walked right into a trap. Another mistake you of all people should know better. But at least you and I are finally getting a chance to talk."

Terra moved out of the way as the bo-staff came down, and it slammed into rocks. She aimed a softball sized piece of earth and let it fly. Slade merely side stepped it and chuckled.

"Hm, I see we have much to talk about."

"Mind if I talk with my hands?" she growled. It wasn't much of a fight though. Slade dodged every attack.

"Impressive unless of course you were aiming for me," he taunted. It wasn't a question, but a statement and Terra let out a frustrated scream, her eyes went gold and rocks soared at him. The teen felt him kick her in the stomach, then the rough wall slam into her back. Slade now merely stood a few feet away, silently observing her.

"Back off, I'm with the Titans they'll be coming to…"

"You don't belong with the Titans."

Terra felt fear claw at her throat. The reality of the situation setting in.

"You don't know anything about me."

"On the contrary Ilona, I know everything about you." He held up her silver butterfly hairclip.

She felt her heart stop, and Slade to the opportunity to walk a little closer.

"That name means light and beautiful, correct? Only now you go by Terra. After all, everywhere you go you cause nothing but darkness."

Terra couldn't breathe, eyes wide, staring up at Slade with the upmost fear. He knew her. He knew her _name_.

"I know why you're always running away. I know your secret little girl."

"No!"

She charged him, reaching for the clip, and he slammed her into the rocks, knocking her breath away. His single grey eye looked charcoal black.

"Earthquakes, avalanches, mudslides, everywhere you go you try to do good and everywhere you fail."

He released her wrist and she felt the blood rush back making it throb painfully, it was going to bruise.

"So everyone turns against you. You lack control, Terra," he placed the clip back in her hair, and it felt like a chain… a way to freedom, "and when you lose control you are more dangerous than anything I've ever seen." Shock raced through her system, he wasn't turning her way. He wasn't condemning her. Terra opened her pleading dark blue eyes and followed his movements in the shadows.

"But it doesn't have to be this way. I can help you child."

"You can?" Terra felt the metal weigh down on her hair and the voice of her mother whispering the story of the butterfly who burned its wings trying to reach freedom in her ears. She watched Slade bend down, picking up a rock and begin crushing it in his iron grip.

"Right now you are rough around the edges, you need more than obstacle courses to overcome your problem. You need a teacher, a mentor, come with me Terra, and I can teach you to _shine_."

Slade opened his fist and in the dust there sat a diamond. Slowly she reached out wishing to hold the diamond, but Terra turned away retracting her hand.

"But my friends told me you were…"

"You don't really believe they're your friends, do you Terra?"

"They took me in, gave me a home…"

"And when they find out what's wrong with you, they'll reject you like everyone else."

"Beastboy," she'd told him her secret.

"Can't keep his mouth shut forever, he'll tell them."

Terra's fists glowed gold.

"He promised."

Her anger was rising.

"He lied."

"No, shut up and _leave me alone!"_

The ground began to shake and a twister formed around her. Terra felt her mind snap and her ears pop and she fell to the ground in fear.

"Don't lose control, don't lose control," she whispered the mantra over and over again and somehow Slade heard her.

"Now Terra, how can you lose something you never had?"

Terra screamed, and she felt all her power poor out, her feet left the ground.

Robin destroyed the last robot when the earth gave a violent shutter.

"We need to get out of here," Raven spoke flying up to Robin.

"Slade's tryin' to bring down the whole mine," screamed Cy as Starfire reached for him.

"I'm not sure he's the one doing this," Robin answered but right now that didn't matter.

"I couldn't locate Terra or Beastboy," Star informed grabbing the robot teen's shoulders, and Robin stepped onto one of Raven's pure black disks.

"We have to trust them. They can handle themselves now move!" They took off and Robin prayed he'd made the right call.

Terra couldn't get Slade's voice out of her head. She could still hear him speak to her over the roar of the twister and the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"I can help you, Terra. I'll be waiting," Slade moved through the rubble and disappeared right when the green gopher breached the earth and spotted the miniature wind tunnel. Beastboy burrowed back down and emerged inside of it where Terra sat floating off the ground clutching her head in fear.

"Terra!"

Beastboy leapt in the air and grabbed her arm even as the wind threatened to toss him around. Two startled gold eyes met his before they turned dark blue.

"Beastboy?"

Terra found her heart skip in her chest, and he reached out for her other arm. Interlocking it with his, pulling her close. Never had she felt so safe, so loved.

"It's o.k. Terra, I'm here."

Beastboy pulled her into his arms. The twister dying down with Terra clinging to him, sobbing before she looked up to him with pleading eyes.

"You won't…"

"I'm not going to tell anybody, I promise."

Terra closed her eyes and let herself forget all about who she was. The butterfly clip still resting in her hair.

* * *

><p>It was past eleven p.m. and the sky was dark blue. Terra pulled on her backpack and smiled to the team.<p>

"Well guys it's been real, seriously thanks for everything but…"

The living room doors opened, and she bumped into Cy's chest.

"Don't even think about it," he whispered giving her a glare that said if she ran, he wouldn't let her get far.

Terra couldn't help but smile.

"O.k. what's going on?"

Robin raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"We wish for you to stay here with us!" Starfire squeaked out before he could say anything. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Terra felt butterflies flutter madly in her stomach.

"We think you'd make a great addition to the team," Robin added.

"So, wanna be a Titan?" Beastboy asked, and Terra watched Robin open his palm where a single communicator rested. It felt like her salvation.

"Me, really?"

"Of course you'll need more training," Robin added. Terra felt everything come to a grinding halt. "I know you have trouble controlling your powers and we…"

The com hit the ground.

"You told?"

Terra felt like ice water had been poured over her and Beastboy paled.

"I didn't," Beastboy panicked and his ears flattened to his head.

"You promised, you lied to me. _You lied!"_

Terra ran out the door and never looked back, leaving Beastboy frozen and the other Titans stunned. Robin watched the youngest of the group shift nervously, and the boy wonder felt guilt begin to eat at him.

* * *

><p>Beastboy sat on the side of the Tower where all the rocks lay, the ocean churning below, he found her butterfly clip at the bottom. The team didn't know she was running, getting closer to Slade. Robin walked over to him and sat down.<p>

"I'm sorry, I just figured it out. I didn't mean…I didn't know it was a secret."

"She didn't even say goodbye."

Robin felt anger flood through him, but he pushed it aside. Right now Beastboy needed him to be his friend, not be irrational.

"I know, and we'll look for her. I promise. She's still an honorary Titan even if she doesn't have a communicator yet."

Beastboy looked over to him and let out a relieved smile.

"Thanks, Robin."

They sat there for a while when the boy wonder heard the sound of an engine. He stood and Beastboy gave him a questioning look but didn't comment. However he did stand when a woman in a red and black suit flying on a hover jet landed down in front of them. She pulled off her helmet to reveal thick raven black hair and chocolate skin, and if Beastboy hadn't fallen for Terra he definitely would have had it bad for her.

"Identify yourself."

The girl raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Woah, didn't know the Titans were so serious. I'm grateful for that, my name is Valarie, the Red Huntress and I need your help tracking down a criminal."

Robin gave her a hard look before allowing her inside.

Valarie was shocked, the Tower was amazing. Wandering around the living room alone she knew she could get used to living like this. The team tracked her movements with weary eyes. All except Robin who felt his bat sense going wild. Two teens in two days, not a coincidence.

"Alright start with what you do?"

Valarie turned and smirked at Robin who suddenly got the urge to hit her with knock out gas.

"Well for starters I'm no hero, but neither am I a villain," she quickly added watching as the team tensed for battle. "I'm a bounty hunter for criminals only. Well more for a specific type of criminal." Valarie turned back to the bay windows and looked to the moon.

"And who is it that you hunt?" Starfire asked moving forward. Val gave her a small smile, grateful that Star wasn't so hostile.

"I'm a ghost hunter, and I've tracked one of the greatest ghost criminals to your city and I could really use the back-up."

The Titans were immediately on alert for Danny had said a war would be coming now that the treaty was broken.

They all shared a look and Robin stepped forward.

"Alright, who is the ghost?"

"His name is…"

The living room doors opened, and Danny stepped through rubbing his green eyes tiredly.

"Hey guys sorry I'm…" he looked up to the team and his eyes immediately fell on Valarie, "late."

"Valarie?"

"Phantom." Her voice was a growl. Danny paled and he heard the telltale signs of weapons being pulled.

"Oh shit."

She leapt for his throat.

And his palms turned liquid green.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	26. Chapter 19: Human for I am

_Everything falls apart..._

"_Because you're not what I would have you be, _

_I blind myself to who, in truth, you are."_

_~Madeleine L'Engle_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 19: Human for I am…

_"This is Cindy Lugosi with the J__.__C__.__ evening news. Tensions are running high at Titans Tower since rumor has it the Red Huntress, a world renowned ghost hunter from Amity __Park, __has taken up residence there. Not much is known about Red, but it appears she has it out for the suspicious ghost teen Danny Phantom, who currently isn't staying at the Tower anymore. And with the press conference coming up, Robin will have much answer to, and this is going to be one heated debate. Back to you Springer."_

_"Thanks Cindy, in other news DALV has recently purchased…"_

The static of the news report filtered in between Cindy's words as Robin listened in with the ear piece. His defensive movements grew violent in strength as he fought the solid training post. Pressing a small button on the com. device he flipped channels.

_"Honestly I'm surprised the thing hasn't been arrested yet__. __I swear you cry 'hero' and the Titans will let anyone in. If you ask me, Robin's lost his touch."_

_"Well, when you let a child protect the city…"_

Robin growled under his breath and punched, he felt the reverberation all the way up to his elbow. Around him his team kept training, Starfire maneuvering destroying the target devices while avoiding their laser beams, and he noticed Raven lift three ton cylinders with her magic. He changed the channel.

_"Danny Phantom is a menace. Look at his rap sheet! This ghost should be locked away like the rabid dog he is."_

Beastboy kept on his treadmill, changing animals and making sure he could keep up his speed. Plus the cardio workout was good.

_"Truly a scientific wonder, the possibilities the ghost could unlock. The __shear__ power, to simply study the boy would be a revelation. Not to mention his genetic code could possibly unlock the keys to immortality. If we could only get a look at his molecular structure…"_

Robin snorted, if Danny were a regular ghost he wouldn't even have a genetic code, so much for those guys knowing a lot about ectoplasmic properties. He switched the device to record all programs. He'd listen to them later when he didn't feel so disturbed.

The boy wonder turned to observe his team and his eyes fell to Valarie who was monitoring the weight device Cyborg was standing under. The thing was massive, and it kept piling on more weights. Robin figured Cy must be lifting more than a couple thousand pounds… sixteen thousand and forty-two point eight, to be exact. He instantly calculated, thank god Bruce had taught him math.

Not that he ever really needed to try, Robin had always loved the subject. Thinking of his adoptive father mellowed the teen out though, but he pushed aside the guilt and anger. Instead choosing to go help encourage his friend. After all, Robin couldn't lift that much and hey, it was pretty cool to watch his friend give it his all. He decided to ignore the Red Huntress.

"C'mon, Cyborg, push!"

The teen grunted under the strain, sweat running down his human skin. Cy glared and felt his legs begin to tremble.

"What's it look like I'm doing?"

Another weight dropped down, and Cy's shoulders dropped. Valarie placed her hand over the off switch on the device but the team who now looked on kept offering words of encouragement. Cyborg looked to his power level, he had reached his max.

"It's no good, shut it down!"

"No way Cyborg, I won't let you quit c'mon, push!"

Robin watched his friend begin to straighten up against the weight, but Cyborg could only see the hundred percent flashing before his eyes.

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can."

The next weight was about to drop, and Robin calculated everything from Cyborg's stance to the decimal attached to the next plate, he could make it.

"No, I can't!"

The weight dropped and Valarie hit the off switch, the device took all the weight off Cyborg and the teen dropped like a stone. Robin gave her a glare before he held out a hand to his friend, Beastboy walking up next to him.

"I'd give you a nine for the dive but a two for the landing."

Robin sent a glare towards him but looked back to Cyborg who was already off the ground and walking away.

The mechanical teen was halfway to his room when Robin caught up with him.

"Cyborg, what happened back there?"

"Get off my back," his voice brokered no argument and Robin felt the blame being directed to him with bulls' eye precision.

"I'm on your side, remember? I was just trying to get you to kick it up another notch."

Robin felt indignation and hurt at his friend, and he found himself measuring his breath to keep calm. Cyborg spun around and glared.

"I don't have another notch, when I say I can't, _I can't!"_

Robin felt rooted to the spot in shock. They never argued like this. Cy's shoulders dropped and he looked down to his metal hands.

"When I was an athlete, when I was human, I loved pushing my limits: getting stronger, faster, better. Just by trying harder than I ever had before, and my couch would always tell me to give a hundred and ten percent and I always did."

"You still can," the boy wonder whispered. Robin tried to ignore how pleading his voice sounded.

"My muscles are mechanical now, limits are built in. No matter how hard I try. One hundred percent is all I've got."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Well, now you do."

Cyborg turned to leave, but he paused.

"And while you're at it, maybe you should step up to the plate and deal with Ms. Huntress before she goes after Danny again. We already have to replace the kitchen table. Wouldn't want to add his bookstore next."

The teen rounded the corner and left Robin in the dark hallway. The boy wonder turned and bowed his head as a cold shudder ran up his frame. God, sometimes he wished...it didn't matter. Slowly, the fifteen year old straightened up and walked back to his room.

* * *

><p>Valarie paced the living room floor. She chanced a look at the door and found Raven floating ideally in the air, but the huntress knew better; she was watching her. It had taken two and a half hours for Robin to get her to surrender and finally stop struggling against Raven's magical barrier, watching as Danny bid them a goodbye but not before he promised to come back and check in with the Titan's leader. Val had screamed profanities for three hours then. Looking at her tracker, it still showed no signs of ecto-energy. Wherever that scum Phantom went, he was out of her range.<p>

"You know, instead of hating him, you could try to understand him."

Valarie spun around and glared at the blue clad teen.

"Understand the ghost who _ruined_ my life. I don't think so."

Raven snapped her book shut and leveled her a glare.

"You do not know everything. Perhaps you should not be so short sighted. After all, if we were the same as you, you would be in a prison cell right now for attacking a fellow Teen Titan."

"Maybe you should stop getting all emotional over your boyfriend," she shot back.

Raven's feet hit the ground and she stalked forward. Valarie suddenly felt out of her league.

"I am not governed by my emotions and he is _not_ my boyfriend," the last part Raven practical hissed and Val took a step back as the books pages began to flip on their own accord.

"Raven."

The girl frozen, her violet eyes cleared, and Raven became detached once more. Robin descended the stairs and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Relax."

Valarie watched the two share a look before Raven gave a small nod, pulled up her hood and floated out of the room. Val let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Thanks."

Robin merely inclined his head before moving over to the kitchen counter to start the dishes. He didn't give any outward acknowledgment that he knew she was still here. Hell, he didn't even speak with her. Val suddenly felt left out and shunned. The feeling burned through her like the taunting laughs the A-listers had given after her dad had lost his job.

Hesitantly, she walked up to him and picked up the dish rag and began drying. After a few minutes she thought she saw a small relieved smile cross the boy wonder's face. Valarie got the strange feeling he was testing her. Or maybe showing her something she couldn't quite grasp. Valarie continued to dry the dishes anyways.

About thirty minutes later, a pissed off and brooding Cyborg stomped in and plunked down on the couch, logged onto the online gaming website and started kicking the crap out of some poor user whose name was Atlas. Robin paused, a pained look overcoming his face. Valarie pretended she didn't notice it and startled him when she tugged the last plate from his grip, her eyes softening slightly.

"You alright?"

"I will be."

She turned away to place the plate back in the cabinet.

The doors opened, and Valarie didn't pay it any mind until she heard the echo in the voice. Her silent sensors went off.

"What's wrong with Cyborg?"

Valarie spun around so fast she felt like the Flash, and there, leaning over the counter, was Phantom. Val reached for her gun when Robin unconsciously stepped closer to the ghost teen, blocking her aim. It felt like ice water had been dumped over her. Why had she allowed herself to forget exactly which side Robin was on? But the pained look crossed the boy's face again and suddenly Val felt her heart wrench and her hand fell down to her side. Was he really on any sides? The Huntress thought.

"He had a rough time during training this morning," Robin stated while they both watched the teen.

Cy kicked Atlas's butt, gave a grunt and started a rematch when the gamer demanded it. Danny looked over to Robin questioningly.

"And you?"

Robin froze and suddenly everything about him changed. His posture relaxed and a lazy smile crossed his lips. Danny frowned at the cover-up.

"Me? Stressed, but fine."

Danny was about to pry when he spotted Valarie over by the fridge. Almost instantly the ghost straightened, his feet left the ground and fear lit his eyes. Valarie suddenly wondered why she never noticed that. But before the ghost could disappear, Robin placed a hand on Danny's upper arm and pushed him gently back to the ground.

"She's cool."

Valarie snorted simply because it was in her nature to be stubborn. But her heart swelled, Robin had stood up for her. Danny glared back at Valarie, he was half way tempted to stick his tongue out at her, and he praised himself on his restraint. The doors opened once more and Raven, Starfire and Beastboy entered and immediately Robin was surrounded by his friends who were all worried about Cyborg. Valarie slunk closer to them and Danny made sure to stay on the other side of the team. As _far _away from her as possible. Because even though Robin trusted her, and he trusted Robin, no way in hell was he about to tempt fate… Plus, he might accidentally do something he'd regret, like ask Beastboy to help prank her. Danny figured that wouldn't go over too well.

Cyborg won again for the tenth consecutive round and gave a howl before he stuck out his jaw and got back to kicking Atlas's cyber robotic butt.

"Wow and I thought Raven looked grumpy," Beastboy said completely serious. Starfire clasped her hands together deeply worried.

"Our friend is more dismal than the swamp moons of Mulwok, measures must be taken," she demanded as she flew up behind the couch and gave a smile that could light the darkest room.

"To replenish your heart with warmness and cheer, I offer a traditional Tameranian folk song."

Valarie didn't understand why the two guys, the ghost, and miss black sunshine suddenly covered their ears, that is till the girl opened her mouth and started to screech.

"Gah!"

The only thing worse than Starfire's song was Cyborg's roar.

"Rah! Starfire, cut it out!"

When Cy looked back to his video game, he'd lost, and Star had to hide behind Danny in order to avoid his wrath. Beastboy tried next with his infamous _keep-your-eye-on-the-cookie_ routine. Cyborg threw him over the couch.

"You're supposed to laugh! What do I have to do make it fly out my…Danny! A little help?"

The changeling expectantly looked up to Danny who let out a nervous breath.

"Okay…here goes nothing."

The ghost took flight and floated down in front of Cy, smiling like he didn't have a care in the world. His feet still pointing up to the ceiling. From this upside down perspective Cyborg looked like an angry gorilla.

"Um…boo?"

Danny was met with a charging sonic canon. He teleported away instantly and landed next to Robin. Valarie felt every nerve in her body stand on end. She couldn't believe it…his powers were still advancing. Rage filled her and none of the Titans even seemed to _care_.

"Let me try," Raven quickly interrupted, she walked up to the couch, opened her mouth…

"I don't want to talk about it."

Raven felt like a pilot from WWII, and Cyborg shooting the bombs that sent her crashing into the ocean in a fiery explosion of death.

"I tried."

Starfire re-emerged carrying what looked like purple bag pipes. A joyous smile on her face.

"Tameranian folk songs are even more cheerful when accompanied by the Gorka Pipes."

Robin thankfully cut her off.

"Uh, Starfire, maybe he just needs some time alone. Come on guys," he ordered ushering the team out of the living room.

Valarie watched as Robin and Phantom moved further down the hallway. She took a step forward preparing to go after them, only to be surrounded by the three other Titans.

"So Valarie, where are you from?" Beastboy asked. Val instantly knew he was purposefully stalling and the dangerous glint in his eyes told her not to try anything.

* * *

><p>The hall lights were dim and both teen's feet echoed off the floor. Danny was silent next to Robin as they headed to the evidence room.<p>

"Are you alright now? Raven gave me a brief report after I called her back."

Danny smiled at the barely contained worry in his friend's voice.

"I'm fine. I'll need your help though, but later, after Cyborg is feeling better, and Valarie isn't breathing down our backs."

Robin nodded and pressed a button opening the door. Both stepped in, and the halfa gave the leader a long look before he finally concluded that Robin wasn't going to bring it up. Danny let out an exasperated sigh and smiled.

"So, when were you gonna tell me?"

"About Cyborg? I was kinda of hoping he'd be better by now."

Robin answered turning to look over some old case files.

"I meant the press conference."

Danny watched Robin instantly straighten before looking over to him. The boy wonder hadn't known Danny would bring it up and for one terrifying moment, the teen feared he would be met with hate filled eyes.

Danny's mouth parted slightly in shock, and he took a step forward when he saw Robin's eyes flash in panic.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm not upset or anything."

Walking forward, the halfa placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and gave a small reassuring squeeze. Robin let out his breath and his shoulders relaxed.

"Sorry, just a little stressed."

"I know. That's about all you've told me."

Robin gave Danny his best bat glare that would have worked on all criminals and the Teen Titans themselves. Danny simply burst out laughing. Robin didn't know why, he should have been pissed at getting this reaction, but soon both of them were gripping their sides while trying in vain to stop the giggles.

"Dude, Robin, when you glare like that I swear some part of hell freezes over. You could make a puppy cry with that look!"

Robin smirked, "Oh and your glare doesn't? I swear when Cy told the team you yelled at him, he had nightmares for a week. And I'm pretty sure hell's flames are burning blue by now since you came to town."

Danny took a bow, and Robin felt years younger at his friend's ridiculous actions.

"Why thank you, my good sir. I do pride myself on being capable of freezing the balls off hell with my ice powers."

Robin cracked up laughing again at Danny's crassness, and he found himself trying to talk in between gasping breathes.

"Seriously…you…have…ice powers?"

Danny stood up and grinned wolfishly, "Yep." His eyes went frigid blue and he formed a miniature ghost portal. It rested on his palm and he held it out for Robin to take.

The boy wonder's eyes went wide in fascination as he held it up to the light.

"The crystal won't melt either unless it sits under the sun for a good week or so," Danny stated.

"Amazing."

Danny felt himself puff up with pride. At least he wasn't the only one who like this power. Tucker had practically been ecstatic over it till Danny accidentally froze his PDA.

"It must contain different properties. Maybe something to do with the crystallization, have you tested it formally?"

Robin felt jittery with excitement from the possibility of getting to do an experiment, and Danny tilted his head back in thought.

"You know not really but maybe…I have a Fenton ecto-moleculizer my Dad built it. It was meant to break down and analyze a ghost's ecto-powers, but all it did was give me a caffeine high. We could reconfigure it. And crap! Stop distracting me."

Robin at least had the dignity to look apologetic.

"What can I say, the disk you gave me along with yours and your parents' research is fascinating."

Danny gave him a glare.

"Because you were so paranoid this tech might be used to get ahead in the global economic and scientific worlds you made me give them to you so you could get ahead."

"A fact I'm not afraid to admit I'm proud of."

The halfa rolled his eyes, "You're doing it again."

The lighthearted mood fell, and Robin looked down before solemnly placing the sculpture on the table.

"I called the press conference," he admitted, "The world needs to know you're with us. And I'm not about to let your alleged crimes and your physiology stop you from being a Titan."

Danny's glowing green eyes softened, before he put Robin in a head lock.

"Hey! Don't you dare mess up my hair!"

The boy wonder desperately fought off Danny's arm while the halfa proceeded to do exactly that. The sonic boom and roar of the waves caught them both off guard as the Tower gave a violent shake. Both raced out of the room and met up with the team and Valarie.

"Where's Cyborg?" Robin demanded. The Tower shook once more, and Danny snapped his head around to the living room. Kicking down the automatic doors since the Tower had entered lock down mode. The living room was empty and the giant smoldering hole in the glass was still burning a hot red orange.

"Titans, move!"

The team dropped down to the shore of the Tower and was running towards their friend when a pale gray man with a rocket strapped to his back flew in front of them.

"Sorry folks, no one interrupts the master. This match is one on one between Cyborg and Atlas."

Robin threw him out of the way and kept running.

"Starfire, Raven, defensive positions, Beastboy standby."

The three nodded and took off. Robin looked over to Danny who was waiting for orders.

"The guy Cy was video gaming against was Atlas."

"Well, that escalated rather quickly," Danny replied flying up over the rocks watching Cyborg fight a giant red and gold robot.

Robin flipped onto the nearest boulder. Immediately, he began mentally tearing apart all of Atlas's weapons and defenses. Val and Danny touched down.

"Atlas is using plated weapons, destroy those and he'll only have his super strength."

"Alright."

Danny and Valarie prepared to lift off when Robin stopped them.

"No, he needs to do this by himself."

"What are you talking about? The guy is five times his size!" Valarie snapped watching as Cyborg hit the cliff wall before dropping back into the water.

"Trust me," Robin all but growled at her. Valarie gave a scathing look at Danny. Making it known that she believed this to be all his fault before standing down. He rolled his eyes. At least she hadn't tried to shoot him again. Atlas grabbed Cyborg by his shoulders, and spun him around as if he were a rag doll. When he let go, the Titan went flying up and over the Tower heading for the water.

Danny took off after him and Robin unleashed three exploding disks. The Titans all attacked, Starfire and Raven converged and a wall of black water slammed into the robot. Atlas still stood and Beastboy fell from the sky and turned into a whale. The four teens who were standing on shore smiled till the changeling started to be lifted. Atlas threw the boy back to the land and Robin caught the teen.

"Humans provide no challenge."

Atlas aimed his canon and fired five shots in rapid secession. No one had time to dodge.

* * *

><p>Danny pulled Cyborg from the water.<p>

"You alright?"

"I'm fine, help me to shore."

Cy felt an arm wrap around his ribcage and soon both were flying parallel to the ground. Huh, so that's what Rob meant when he described flying with Danny. Both landed on the rocks to see their friends and Valarie trapped inside five separate gold domes. Atlas standing over them smirking.

"No challenge at all."

Cy hit him in the back of the head with his sonic canon.

"Let them go."

Atlas felt amusement at hearing the growl in Cyborg's voice and once he turned and faced him, Danny flew up to Robin's dome preparing to get his friend out.

"Don't."

Danny's eyes flashed a brighter green.

"_What_?" He hissed his voice not above a whisper.

"Cyborg doesn't believe he can win, he needs to. He can."

Atlas fired a plasma round into Cy's canon, destroying it.

"Hold. I will defeat you but later," the red and gold robot said. Danny turned back to Robin and glared.

"I'm not putting your lives in danger."

"Yes, you will."

The other trapped teens were watching silently while Robin and Danny continued to whisper furiously at each other.

"Uh…Is Danny going to rescue us anytime soon?" Beastboy questioned, Raven shushed him.

Danny disappeared momentarily when Atlas turned to look at his prizes saying the fair fight would consist of no weapons or no friends.

"No, we finish this now!" Cyborg charged and the two started to fight.

Danny reappeared and everyone couldn't believe Robin wasn't trembling in fear at the ghost teen's glare. Instead he matched it, glare for glare.

"That sounds like a threat to me," Danny replied, throwing his arms up in exasperation.

Atlas punched Cyborg in the chest and sent him skidded backwards, stopping just short of the water.

"We'll be fine. Cy has to do this."

"He's losing."

"Then promise me you'll let him win."

"_Why_?"

Both teens ignored the groan of pain as Cyborg went down, hard.

Robin looked back, pleading for Danny to understand. Cyborg stood on shaky legs and took a fighting stance.

"Enough, we will finish this later."

"No."

"As you wish."

Danny swore and turned invisible right before Atlas looked back to see his five prisoners still safely trapped. He pointed his plasma ray at Robin's cell. He didn't know Danny was standing in between them, fully prepared to let loose his ghostly wail. Desperately, Robin tried to get control of the situation. Not wanting to risk Danny exposing himself.

"Cyborg, we'll be alright. Get your strength back, then get Atlas."

The team heard a boxing bell ring and the Mechanic flew over. Standing behind the hover chair, steering it. Atlas sat down like a king on his throne.

"The All Stadium at sunset. Come if you dare and I will let you have your friends back."

All of them disappeared in a flare of electricity, teleporting them away. Danny cursed and shimmered into existence, he hadn't expected to be punched in the jaw.

"Why didn't you fight?" Cyborg screamed.

The halfa got out of the new crater and glared. Tenderly fingering the bruising skin.

"I can't."

Cyborg punched him again.

"That's bull. You did pretty well last night defending yourself from Red!"

Danny started to hover off the ground and came up to his friend's eye level.

"I can't."

His words were steel and Cyborg snarled, shoving Danny aside.

"Then get out of my way."

The halfa waited till his friend was back inside the Tower before he teleported over to the stadium. It was a rundown place in the desolate part of the city. And even though the sun was still high in the sky, here everything looked like it existed only for the sunset. The building's design gave the impression it was once a part of the great Roman Empire.

And Danny had to give credit where credit was due, it looked pretty authentic. It even had hard packed dirt for the arena. Noticing the place was empty, Danny went intangible and dove into the ground where the underground tunnels and rooms were. Flying quietly he followed the thick black power lines that ran across the dust ridden, rat invested floor. Turning the corner the halfa could make out Alas proclaiming himself the winner, and the sound of online video game fighting reached his ears.

"This guy is way too competitive."

Peeking into the old locker room, Danny saw his friends' prisons all balancing on five golden trophies.

"Whoa, egotistical much."

Looking around the room, the halfa noticed the human mechanic mulling about by the oil drums. After a few minutes he disappeared, and Danny figured now would be his best chance since it didn't look like Atlas was going to get off his seat and stop playing video games anytime soon.

Valarie had to contain her snarl when Phantom appeared. Although the fact that the ghost didn't even pay her any mind also slightly stung. He was her nemesis, Phantom shouldn't go to other heroes. Especially one as pure as Robin. Valarie didn't want the Titans to fall to hers and Phantom's level. It didn't matter though, the second the ghost stopped at Robin's cage the hero looked to him as did all of the other Titans.

"_Explain_."

Phantom demanded and Valarie watched as Robin told the ghost about what was going on with Cyborg and then the small argument the two teens had about their safety. The Huntress was surprised, never had she seen the ghost boy truly look terrified. He was worried about leaving the team. Beastboy stopped trying to get out of his gold bubble prison and rolled his eyes.

"Dude, we'll be fine. Go kick Cy's butt into high gear and then we can all go for a veggie pizza."

All the Titans including Danny rolled their eyes.

"No one is going to get veggie," the ghost boy stated to the changeling who looked affronted.

Robin turned back to Danny.

"Sunset is in about fifteen minutes. Stay in the shadows if you're really that worried but don't engage Atlas."

The order was clear and Danny gave his friend one last glance before nodding and he disappeared instantly.

* * *

><p>Slowly, time seemed to creep by. Being measured only by how fast Danny could imagine his heart would be beating. Finally the human Mechanic came over to the trophy cases and he raised the platform underneath them along with Danny and Atlas.<p>

The blood colored sky now over hung them, and Robin let out a snarl as the Mechanic polished the gold on his prison.

"You can't hold us here forever."

The man looked up and waved his wrench at the teen.

"Now don't be a sore loser. Atlas is just better than you, better than all of us."

Starfire stomped her foot on the prison cell and leveled him a glare.

"Your Atlas is nothing but a zolwrap twobat plixey morwarker!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Beastboy chimed. Valarie placed her hands on her hips and gave him a disbelieving stare.

"Do you even know what she said?"

The changeling shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"No idea, but it ain't a good thing, trust me."

The Mechanic clenched his fists in anger.

"You watch your tone. Atlas is the greatest, he deserves your respect."

Raven, who had been sitting crossed legged in her prison tilted her head to the side.

"So, do we get bathroom breaks with respect?"

Before the man could rebuttal, Atlas called him from where he sat on his throne.

"Mechanic, buff me."

The man smiled and flew up to him with his little jet pack.

"You got it, champ. Now remember that Cyborg's got a decent left hook so keep an eye out for…"

The robot turned his head one-hundred and eighty degrees to glare down at his maintenance man who was shining his back gold plated armor.

"Never tell me what to do."

Sensing he was in trouble, the man backed off. Robin watching all of his, taking it in. He gave a small smirk. This was something he could use.

"Yo, goldy locks!"

Everyone turned their attention to Cyborg as he walked in. The last drops of the sun disappearing in the sky making his armor the brightest source of light in the coliseum. He cracked his neck and shoulders never once taking his eyes of Atlas.

"Let's do this."

The video king still sitting on the throne, smirked.

"I did not think you would come. Humans scare so easily."

Cyborg let out a growl, "I'm only half human."

"Half of nothing is still nothing."

Danny let out a small growl but held his ground in front of his friend's prisons. He was starting to understand Cyborg's problem.

"Mechanic!" The man came forward and meticulously began removing the man's extra plates while Atlas paid him no mind. "I want a fair fight, so I shall willingly forgo my arsenal."

Cy had enough, "Say tool boy, while you're at it, why don't you shut off his big fat mouth."

"No one talks that way to…"

Atlas didn't give a second glance at his mechanic. He simply charged his opponent and the fight began. Robin decided now was the perfect time to start sowing the seeds of destruction. He looked over to the man who just defended his master and crossed his arms.

"You respect Atlas. Does he respect you?"

The Mechanic's back straightened and he whirled around to glare at the boy.

"Quiet, human."

Cyborg hit the stadium's chairs and smashed them to bits, he looked up in time to see Atlas racing up the stairs pulling back a fist. The team watched helplessly as Cyborg went through the coliseum's wall. The Titan pulled himself up from where he was dangling seventy feet above the ground. He charged and elbowed the man right under his jaw slamming the robot back into the hard packed dirt. Cyborg followed him down and dropped on top of him. Breaking the ground beneath them, raising up a massive cloud of dirt. Danny had a hard time not cheering along with Robin and the others. The Mechanic noticing the teens' excited cheers felt jealously burn in him. Why did they cheer so enthusiastically?

"Go Atlas, take him down!"

But the fight began to take a turn for the worst, and Cyborg began to take a beat down. Every punch and kick destroyed another part of the building and both opponents were left gasping for breath. Staring each other down from opposite sides of the field. Cy's arm flashed and looking down at his power level, he was using up to ninety-six percent. Cyborg looked up, only to throw his arms up and catch Atlas's fists in his own. It felt like his arms were being ripped clean off his shoulder blades. Cy felt his feet dig into the ground as the giant red and gold robot loomed over him. His power expenditure beeped, he was maxed out.

"It seems you have reached your limit, but Atlas has power to spare," the robot pushed, and Cy felt his joints grind together in protest. His knees hit the dirt and Atlas reared back and punched him straight into the ground. He didn't get up.

_"Cyborg!"_

The team was horrified, watching very slowly as Cy found the strength to push himself up on his elbows and glare at his opponent.

"No one defeats, Atlas," the robot stated viscously smirking. The humiliation Cyborg felt was only tempered by the need to free his friends.

"Fine. You win, now let my friends go."

Atlas didn't even pause to turn around when he told him no.

The Titans felt their stomachs drop out in fear, and the mechanic only felt shock at Atlas's decision.

"But…boss, you said…"

Atlas resumed sitting on his throne, smirking all the while.

"Your friends will remain as my trophies and there is nothing you can do about it."

The team felt the realization begin to set in.

"Cyborg!"

Cy flinched at Beastboy's plea.

"Please," Raven begged while Valarie and Starfire merely looked at him with slack jaws and panicked eyes.

But the hardest voice to the teen was Robin's. His best friend, who always had so much faith in him…Cy clenched his fists in the dirt and fought off the tears that threatened to fall.

"Cyborg, get up and fight! You can still win this. _Please_."

The flashing power display still showed one hundred percent. How could Robin believe in him, when he couldn't even believe in himself.

"No. I can't."

Danny felt those words seal all of their fates, and his friends screamed. Atlas's voice rose above them all.

"Fool, did you actually believe you could defeat Atlas? I am all robot, and you, are only human."

The Mechanic lowered himself, Atlas and the prisoners turned trophies back into the belly of the earth. Cyborg stood and didn't look as they disappeared beneath the surface.

Danny watched despairingly while his closest friends became trophies and the other was left to stumble out of the stadium on shaking legs. Beaten and broken beyond repair. A strong part of the halfa violently wanted to go and destroy Atlas, he knew he could but the other part warring within him was demanding he not break his promise to Robin. Danny looked at the ground and sighed.

"A Fenton never breaks a promise."

Now the hard part, how to get Cyborg back on his feet. Danny raised one pure white gloved arm and held it to the moon. He could only imagine the power expenditure built into his friend. After a few moments, a mischievous smile quirked his lips and a glint lit his eyes.

* * *

><p>Atlas was back on his gaming seat pounding away at all his opponents.<p>

"Victory! Atlas wins again, Derrick Wyatt from East Gotham City, I dominant you."

It would have been funny if Atlas wasn't actually serious. The Titans didn't pay him any attention though. Beastboy continued to slam his head up against the dome prison as a ram, then a bird and back to a ram before he collapsed on the floor exhausted.

"Give it a rest. You're starting to repeat yourself," Raven stated looking at the changeling who nodded.

"But we must discover a way out," Star said, she kicked the force field with all her strength and hoped back clutching her knee.

"Ow."

The mechanic flew over holding two big barrels of oil and glared.

"There is no way out. Now be quiet humans, Master is trying to relax."

"I am not human," Star growled. Robin took a step forward giving the Mechanic a once over.

"But you are. You should be on our side."

"I'm on the winning side. Atlas is the greatest, no one can defeat him. No one!"

"If Atlas is so great, why does he treat you like a loser?"

Valarie had to give the boy wonder credit, he was good. The group all watched doubt and denial wash over the Mechanic as Atlas demanded oil.

"Comin' right up, boss."

He gave the team a backwards glance before flying up to the robot. Val let out a growl of frustration.

"Great, that went over well. Oh and by the way, you see that ghost coming to get us out 'cause, I sure don't oh wonderful leader."

Robin shushed her and motioned for them to watch.

* * *

><p>The sky was dark and it was hard to keep walking. Yet Cyborg couldn't feel his own legs, he only felt numb. He lost, abandoned his friends and no matter what, he couldn't get Robin's face out of his mind. He kept seeing him in the hallway of the Tower looking up at him in confusion, not understanding that Cyborg had his limits. He was a robot. A human, well half of a human and not even that. Cyborg turned to look at himself in the dusty glass of a long forgotten store.<p>

"I failed."

"You did."

Cy hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud until Danny answered him. The halfa walking out of the shadows, coming to stand behind him. His reflection in the smeared glass. His hands were shoved deep in his jeans pockets, his form hunched inwards to buffet the chilly wind all around them. Causing the teen to shiver, and his midnight black hair kept being tugged every which way, revealing the darkened skin on his jaw as the shafts of moonlight caught it. Cyborg looked at those ice blue eyes in the glass. But he couldn't turn around, he didn't even have it in him to be angry at the teen.

"Here to yell at me and kick my ass like last time?" It was a dead statement, and Danny didn't look away from his friend but he gave a dismissive shrug.

"No. I can't."

Okay, Cy still had it in him to get angry. He felt rage pool in his belly at the halfa's words.

"Can't, or won't?" He snapped at the raven haired teen in the glass. He watched the halfa shift on his feet and he felt his presence behind him, but when those blue eyes met his they were hard.

"I won't. You need to try again."

"I tried. I can't. I gave everything I had, one hundred percent."

Those blue eyes flashed green.

"Give more, our friends, _your_ friends are in danger. You have to go back and you have to win."

Danny crossed his arms and glared. Cy looked at his friend in the glass, then to his own reflection, to his eyes. One human, the other an optic red.

"I can't win. Atlas is stronger, Atlas is faster, he's just a better robot."

The halfa took a step forward and his muscles uncoiled.

"But you aren't all robot. Half of you is human and that's the half that can win. Or are you really going to let your human limitations slow you down?"

Cyborg spun around to yell at Danny. To tell him his human side wasn't the problem, but he couldn't believe it. For it wasn't blue eyes he met, but glowing green.

Danny gave a cocky smile and began to hover off the ground.

"Now, will you go willingly or am I still going to need to kick your butt?"

Cyborg looked down to his arm, down to the power expenditure, to his limitations and gave a grin.

"Time to take it up a notch."

* * *

><p>Valarie slammed her leg into the prison.<p>

"Stupid, no good, untrustworthy ghost," she muttered under her breath. She stopped when the Mechanic rounded the corner carrying more oil with him. Atlas chugged another barrel, crushed it on his head and threw it behind him. Never once stopping his video game.

"Mechanic, more oil!"

Obediently, the man flew up to him and handed him another. Atlas took one sip and spat it right into the humans face.

"This is cold, human! Bring me warm oil."

The Mechanic shrunk back in fear till he chanced a glance at Robin who only stared at the display and rebellion flared through the Mechanic's veins.

"Get it yourself."

Atlas stood up and glared.

"What was that? No human tells Atlas what to do."

Robin and the team watched as Atlas threw the Mechanic into the far wall. Cyborg glared and stepped through the doorway.

"You sure about that? I'm human, and I'm here to tell you let my friends go."

The team cried out in joy and Valarie couldn't believe he actually came back. The Mechanic stumbled over to where the trophies were and waited in fear as the two opponents faced off against each other. They charged and Cyborg hit Atlas, sending him straight into the giant TV. Atlas countered and threw punches left and right, Cyborg dodging them, smirking the whole time until the robot landed a lucky hit and the fight took them up once more to the half destroyed arena. The fight continued and the Mechanic raised himself and the trophies up to the stadium. Robin knelt down and whispered the crippling blow.

"He doesn't respect you. He doesn't even like you. Why do you serve him?"

The Mechanic dropped his head in his hands.

"I don't have a choice. Atlas is stronger than me."

"No, he isn't. Atlas needs you, you're the one who fixes him, and you're his strength, without you he's nothing. Atlas, is afraid of you."

The Mechanic looked up to the leader, clearly floored by this revelation. Suddenly, there was another teen standing by his trophy, right next to where Robin was kneeling.

"What?! Who…"

The teen crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in annoyance.

"For the record, I can't believe you never wondered why he always pushed you around, and Robin, the next time you ask me to do a favor, please make it a simple one. Like say, I don't know, buying groceries."

Robin smirked.

"Sorry. I'll try and remember that."

The Mechanic was shocked. Clearly this Robin was the leader. Yet he treated everyone like his equal, like friends. The girl in red snorted.

"Nice to know you decided to show up."

The white haired teen rolled his eyes.

"Missed you too, Red."

Cyborg and Atlas were circling each other before the robot charged. Cy blocking every one of his punches, he aimed his fist and let it disconnect, hitting Atlas in his face causing him to stumble back and slam into the ground. Cyborg reconnected the arm as the robot sat up.

"Still got power to spare?" Cyborg practically growled out, walking up to the man.

"Plenty," he ripped out a power cord from underneath the earth and shocked the Titan. Everyone in the stadium gasped. Atlas stood up as the mechanic flew over to check on the teen.

"Mechanic, concussion blaster, heat canon, now."

The man looked over to the Titan and finally something in him snapped. He glared up at Atlas and stood his ground.

"No."

"Then stay out of my way!" Atlas shoved the human aside and ran over to his weapons panel right below where his trophies were. It opened up and suddenly Atlas wasn't sure which one to take. Cyborg began to rise and in a panic the red and gold robot reached for the mace when all of his weapons went up in a green blaze of energy, melting them down into nothing.

"What?!" Atlas backed up and suddenly there was a teen floating off the ground glaring down at him over by the trophies.

"Oops. Did you need that?" Danny asked playfully confused.

The Mechanic stood up from across the arena and watched the Robot take two steps back in fear.

"Let's see how far you get without my help." he stated before pressing the release switch on the trophies freeing every single Titan. Valarie leapt down and smiled before snapping her hood closed.

"No!" Atlas raced for the exit only to be surrounded on all sides by the teens.

"You wanted a fair fight?" Robin stated stopped in front of the robot, "that's what you're going to get."

Atlas glared down at him.

"Seven against one? That hardly seems fair."

"Oh, we're not fighting," Raven replied circling him from behind next to Beastboy who grinned a fanged grin.

"Think of us more as referees."

All of them backed away, and Cyborg took a step forward cracking his neck.

"It's just you and me."

Atlas turned and cracked his knuckles.

Cyborg threw the first punch and the second, all of them knocking back his opponent while his friends cheered. Valarie could even forget that Phantom was here. Even the Mechanic began to cheer for Cyborg.

The fight was brutal and Cy felt himself going beyond his limits. Suddenly Atlas hit the ground and jumped up bringing his two fists down so fast Cyborg could only react. He threw his arms up and took the giant fists in his hands. Atlas's entire weight was bearing down on him and his power expenditure hit one-hundred once more. Cy felt every muscle scream and suddenly he began to forget what was metal and what was real. His feet were skidding backwards and Atlas smirked.

"What's the matter? Running out of steam?"

The team held their breath before breaking out the encouragement.

"C'mon, Cyborg, push!" Robin yelled and Cy still wondered where his friend had all of this faith. Atlas let out a laugh.

"You have reached your limit, you cannot win."

Cyborg was down on one knee and all he saw in his mind was the dusty glass with Danny's human eyes and his own.

"Yes, I can!"

The power expenditure on his arm shattered, and Cyborg had never felt so human. He pushed Atlas back and lifted the robot off the ground before throwing him into the trophies. The entire back part of the stadium caved, and Atlas fell underneath it. Cyborg was left panting, his entire form shaking from exhaustion and he could hear his friends screaming his name running up to him, smiles on their faces. Cy looked to them and smiled before heading to the caved in floor and all of them looked down at Atlas, who was half way buried under the rocks. He looked up at them with pleading eyes.

"No more. I am defeated. You are a better robot."

Cyborg glared and turned away.

"No. I'm a better person."

With this the team headed out of the stadium leaving Atlas and the Mechanic behind.

"Mechanic, refit," the robot ordered exhausted. The human frowned, clicked off his belt and threw it into Atlas's hole.

"Ah, do it yourself," he said before walking away.

* * *

><p>The team was still excited and praising Cyborg, the sunrise beginning to peek out over the horizon.<p>

"And the winner…"Beastboy exclaimed dancing around them, "by technological knockout the mechanical maniac, the biologic bruiser the one, the only, Cyborg!" He yelled lifting up Cy's arm. The Titans cheered, and Valarie couldn't help but smile. Starfire gave him a bone crushing hug.

"I shall express my gratitude with a Tameranian folk song."

Everyone braced themselves, but Raven managed to cover the girl's mouth with her hand before looking over to her fellow Titan and letting out a rare smile.

"Way to go, champ."

Robin looked at his friend's broken power expenditure and let out a small smile.

"Guess we better get you another one of those."

Cyborg looked to his best friend. Knowing it was his way of apologizing and smiled back.

"Nah, don't need it anymore. My body may have its limitations, but if I put my mind to it, there's no limit to what I can do. Especially if my friends have faith in me."

Robin felt the knot in his chest disappear and both began to follow after the team as they headed home.

"After all, I'm only human."

The team smiled, and Danny flew up next to Cyborg having heard that, he gave a smirk.

"So does that mean you're going to be sore as the hills like a human, or only half sore? Like a half human?"

Cy felt a tick in his left eye.

"Grrr…Get back here, you stinking ghost!"

Everyone broke out laughing as Cyborg started chasing Danny around in circles, even Valarie had to admit. Phantom was…alright. Robin noticed her smile and gave her a nudge.

"So, this normally doesn't happen, but what do you think?"

Valarie laughed.

"What do I think? I think I'm just going to stick to being a bounty hunter. This drama stuff is way too much for me."

They reached the Tower in record time, and it was then they bade Valarie goodbye on the shores once she had her hover board back. Hoping on, she flipped open her eye shield and looked at the team, then to Phantom who had a nervous expression on his face.

"See you guys around. But Phantom, one step out of line and you're going down, until then, truce?" She asked.

Danny felt his eyes widen, but he couldn't help but smile even if she did still threaten him.

"Sure. Truce."

With this she nodded and flew off. The team stood on the banks in silence till Robin remembered the time.

"Crap, I'm supposed to be at the Jump City Court House in three minutes!"

Danny looked at Robin and frowned.

"The one on fifth and main?"

"Yeah…hey!"

Before Robin could even think Danny had yanked the teen forward and in a swirl of green, both of them instantly teleported into a utility closet.

"Ouch!"

"Oops. Sorry, I thought the floor plan was different."

Both of them stumbled out of the closet, right as the head district attorney and the commissioner walked up. They stared before the officer gave a serious cough.

"You're on in two. I suggest you wrap this up Robin. Mister Gonzales," the commissioner said motioning for the man with the pin stripped suit to follow.

Both walked off, leaving Danny flaming green at the situation in general, and Robin muttering darkly.

"This is worse than those rumors with Batman."

"_What_?"

Danny was appalled.

Robin jumped, forgetting his friend was there and now he turned beet red.

"Nothing! Let's just get this over with."

Both stepped into the court room and instantly the reporters, camera men and photographers all in the guest seats started shouting.

* * *

><p>Valarie landed just east of Star City near the outskirts where a rundown building sat. Walking in she headed for the elevators which instantly opened. Stepping inside a red laser scanned her up and down.<p>

"Recognized: Red Huntress. Access Level: 08ALAPHA."

The doors opened to the underground pure white facility. Scientists and guards bustled all around, along with field agents. Everyone was dressed to perfection and everywhere there was white. Valarie had long since stopped feeling out of place. She headed left took two rights, three lefts and the stairwell up before opening the glass doors to the field room. All the agents were gathered around watching multiple TV Screens all from different angles and all of the same thing. The press conference.

"Agent Red, you're late."

"Sorry, I was held up."

Valarie stated moving over to join her supervisor, Agent K.

* * *

><p>The court room was chaos. Instead of a press conference, Robin felt as if he'd been led into a kangaroo court or the Salem witch trials. The heads of the city were on the podiums all demanding an explanation to who exactly this Danny Phantom was, and all the press and reporters were behind them, flashing their cameras and mics nearly blinding the two heroes. It was an attack from both sides, and Robin felt his patience snap.<p>

"Enough!"

The court room went silent and Robin leveled a glare at the men in power.

"Danny Phantom has never been charged with any crimes committed against Amity Park or anywhere in the United States. And last I checked, we still live under the law of innocent until proven guilty. He is a citizen of America and a hero amongst the world of superheroes. And if such evidence should come to light of his alleged crimes it will be investigated and dealt with, but until then, he is and forever will be, protected as a member of the Teen Titans."

As the two turned to leave, one reporter with extremely brittle, pale bleach blonde hair cut in front of them.

"Cindy Lugosi, with the Jump City news. Is it true that Phantom really is dead?"

Danny took a step back when all eyes went to him. His hand twitched at his side desperately wanting to rub the back of his neck, but he resisted it.

"Um…yeah. I'm dead."

"Then you're a ghost!"

"Hey, I prefer to think of myself as an ecto-American," he snapped back. Everyone was stunned in silence and Robin couldn't get the smug grin off his face.

"C'mon, Rae's making waffles."

The entire room suddenly burst out with questions on if Danny could eat or not and other things the halfa didn't dare repeat. Swiftly he grabbed Robin's arm and the two teleported back to the Tower.

* * *

><p>Valarie let out a growl and resisted blasting the TV with her plasma ray. The other agents didn't look particularly happy either, their smirks were now frowns. And probably etched permanently on their faces.<p>

"This is Agent K. I need all units to place bio hazards around the four cities. We will initiate Operation Black Dawn in seventy-two hours. Out."

The Huntress felt her like she'd taken a punch to her gut. She turned to her boss and gave him a questioning look.

"Are you sure? We've been working none stop merely to contain them. After all, your tech isn't exactly up to Fenton status. Or DALV's for that matter," she stated.

Agent K glowered but didn't say anything.

"Well Red, if you would convince your boss to contract with us then we wouldn't have that problem but until then, you will return to Jump in the morning, be prepared, you know the drill."

Valarie huffed and turned away.

Over the intercom she heard Agent K give the order, "All GiW teams, move out."

* * *

><p>Danny and Robin landed in the living room of the Tower. Both of them exhausted. All of the team had gone off to rest even though it was only mid morning. Danny let out a yawn and Robin rubbed his masked eyes tiredly.<p>

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"Wait. You might as well crash here for the day. I promise you Beastboy won't dump water on your head."

Danny rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, but sleeping on the couch isn't exactly safe for me to transform back."

The boy wonder gave a small nod and indicated the halfa should follow. Danny felt apprehension at this as they wound around the hallways, past Raven and Beastboy's private living corridors until in a far hall way they stopped at a plain door. Danny raised an eyebrow, and Robin pressed the button. The door slid open and sunlight streamed into the hallway from the bay windows overlooking the ocean.

"Surprise!"

Danny accidentally flew into the ceiling he was so startled. The team grinning at him madly. It was only when he made sure they weren't going to prank him did the halfa take in the room.

"Oh my god…"

It was a room with white washed walls and sand white carpet, making the sunlight streaming in it cast the room in beautiful hues of blue and gold. The oval bed looked to die for, with its white comforter and green sheets. Danny couldn't even think.

"We thought you might like to paint it later," Beastboy said interrupting the new Titan's astonishment. Danny looked over to the kid who was shifting nervously on his feet.

"Well, what do you think? Tell me it's awesome," Cy beamed at Danny who could only nod, he couldn't locate his voice at the moment.

Robin smiled and walked in.

"The windows are one sided and the entire Tower now has a ghost shield that allows you to leave but no ghosts can get in. Not anymore, except you of course."

Danny felt his jaw drop.

"You modified the ghost shield technology?"

Robin smirked.

"A little, Cyborg and I still have a few adjustments to make. But what do you think?" He asked gesturing to the room once more and the teams smiling faces.

"What do I think?"

Danny let his two blue white rings split his body and he took a running dive onto the bed.

"You've got yourself a ghost crasher!"

The cry came out muffled from the fluff of the pillows. Danny nothing more than a speck of black hair and everyone laughed and Beastboy and Starfire joined him. The bed could still fit more but Raven left stating that she needed to meditate and Cyborg needed to get back to work. Robin figured there reasons for ditching didn't matter since the three teens sprawled across the bed were already asleep.

Cyborg closed the door to Danny's room and Robin gave another yawn.

"You should have crashed with them."

He said giving a friendly reprimand. Robin smiled at his friend's worry.

"I will. But first I need to look over a few things."

Cyborg rolled his eyes but didn't press the matter before he headed off to his room to work on the shield. Knowing that Robin wanted this place to be as safe as possible for them and for Danny.

Robin returned to his room and gave a small sigh. He knew he told Cyborg he'd work a little but…he could look over those case files while sitting in bed surely? The sunlight glowed through his bamboo blinds, casting the room in a soft dusk hue. Slowly, Robin unclasped his cape and draped it over the chair, his boots were next, followed by the gloves, and Robin debated on whether or not he should change into something more comfortable. In the end, the hero just shrugged, he'd change later. He had just sat down on the bed when his cell phone went off.

The Titan had to resist the urge to groan. Dragging himself out of bed, he walked up to his desk, picked up the device and flipped open the screen, not bothering to check the ID.

"Hello?"

"…"

"Robin."

Everything stopped and the teen couldn't believe it. Robin didn't know what to do. And suddenly, he was glad it was a secure line because he almost called his mentor by his first name.

"Batman."

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p> 


	27. Chapter 20: To Fear

_I can't sense..._

_"No Passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear." ~Edward Burke_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 20: To Fear

Robin wasn't sure how long he sat on the floor, his back to the bed. It felt like hours. The cell phone lay discarded next to him, and the teen could feel the cold seeping into his toes. That was inaccurate, he knew, but to his nerves that's what it felt like. He sunk his toes deeper into the carpet and curled in on himself, closing his eyes. Robin, for the first time in a long time, didn't know what to do.

_"Batman."_

_Robin didn't know what to feel, he had no idea what to say. And judging by the silence on the other end__,__ neither did Bruce Wayne._

_"I'm calling on the matter of the new Teen Titan, Danny Phantom."_

_"Oh."_

_Robin knew reasonably that he shouldn't feel any pain over the fact that he hadn't called to merely speak with him__. B__ut it hurt, kind of a lot. And it made Robin feel sick to his stomach._

_"What about Danny?"_

_"The League wants to know exactly what he is."_

_"A ghost."_

_The growl on the other end of the phone informed Robin that Batman knew this already and that he wanted to know how it was possible._

_"The Ghost Zone is our parallel dimension__. I__t is the opposite of living if that's what you're asking."_

_The other end was silent, but Robin could tell his mentor was pouring through century's worth of data. The young hero couldn't take it any longer. He broke protocol._

_"So, how's Todd?"_

_The heaviness in the air became palpable even over the cell phones._

_"Fine. Most criminals believe there is only one Robin, and that he's currently in Jump City. It comes as a great surprise when he jumps in."_

_That stung more than it should have, and Robin was sure he still had dirt stuck in his eyes from back at the coliseum._

_"You know this meta-human is dangerous."_

_Robin wanted to argue against that. But he knew Bruce wasn't racist or prejudice against metas and aliens…hell, he worked with them more often than not. Yet it was the main reason why he was so worried for Robin__. B__ecause they both knew the young hero was only human. It also didn't help that Bruce thought of him as his son. Robin really hoped Bruce still cared enough to call him that._

_"Danny's not a meta really. Although__,__ for the sake of the legal ramifications__,__ we better stick to that."_

_Something then caught up with Robin._

_"How did you know to call him a meta? The scientists are already classifying him as an alien due to him being physically dead."_

_"I did a background search on all teens that went missing or moved away from Amity Park. There was absolutely no paper trail on one Daniel James Fenton until he appeared in Jump City as just a name on a building title as the store owner of a place called Bookstore."_

_Robin was thunderstruck, and a little bit worried__. H__e knew no one was as great a detective as his mentor but…wait, hang on…_

_"You had me followed from the Tower to the Bookstore, didn't you? That's how you found out, because I know for a fact Danny wasn't on anyone's radar till two weeks ago and a month ago Fixit became the sole owner of the store because I was the one who __whipped __out all of those documents."_

_The teen felt his anger begin to rise, and Batman's continued silence only made the flames burn hotter._

_"You had me followed?"_

_The accusation burned in his throat, and Batman gave an inaudible growl._

_"Only on the City's security cameras."_

_Robin's legs gave out and he fell to the floor__,__ his back hitting the wooden base of the bed._

_"How long?"_

_"…"_

_"How long?!"_

_His own voice echoed around the room, and when Bruce answered, it sounded like the man was pulling it forcefully away from his very soul._

_"Since you broke into Wayne Enterprises."_

_The room felt instantly colder and Robin started to shiver._

_"Why?"_

_Robin didn't want the answer but knew it anyways._

_"You know why," the older man snapped, and Robin pressed himself back into the wood feeling the soft covers brush the top of his hair__. T__he left side of his temple began to flare in remembered pain._

_The teen ran a hand through his hair and growled, "Well stop. We've had this argument before, and I'm done trying to justify myself to you." Robin felt a lump get stuck in his throat. God, he knew Bruce was just trying to protect him but he couldn't have a normal life. He could never not be Robin. The price was too high. It was why he left in the first place, why he couldn't be with his mentor…the person he started to view as a father._

_"Dick," Batman's voice was gone now__. I__t was Bruce talking, he sounded lost and broken, and Robin felt his stomach churn violently._

_"Don't. Just don't," Robin said cutting the man off._

_In moments like these, the young hero wished he'd never chosen to become the leader of the Titans. When he wished he'd chosen to stay at the manor, and when he longed for his family to be alive. The silence was crushing on both ends until Bruce shattered it._

_"I've decided to adopt Jason."_

_Robin vaguely realized this probably wasn't a conversation they should be having over the phone. But the teen didn't really blame Bruce__. T__hey always did things a little backwards__. E__ven if it did still feel like his heart was being ripped out of his still beating chest. Plus, both he and his mentor were breaking the very rules Bruce himself said never to break. But the young hero trusted the man on making sure this line was secure because he sure as hell hadn't. Robin only felt strangely empty__,__ like his nerves had been hollowed out but he could still feel the bed post behind his back__. I__t felt mushy, and the carpet was freezing his toes._

_"Oh."_

_It was the only thing he could think of and almost automatically the next question slipped out._

_"When?"_

_"Next week."_

_Robin swore the ground was shaking, because it couldn't be him. It couldn't. He knew it was stupid to feel this way__.__ Bruce wasn't replacing him, and Jason deserved __some__ semblance of a normal life. Even if Bruce Wayne: billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, occasionally liked to dress up as a bat and beat criminals to a pulp every night. He knew his adoptive father wasn't replacing him. But damn__,__ if it didn't feel that way._

_"Dick? I need to know if you're alright with this."_

_Robin felt like laughing, and he did chuckle a little, it helped cover up the sob._

_"What? Yeah of course. I'm fine with it, Jay deserves it. Think you can handle another kid though, old man?"_

_Bruce scoffed over the line._

_"I'm only twenty-six, and you turned out alright."_

_The teen felt the tangled knot wrapped around his heart loosen __considerably. A__nd for the first time since the phone call Robin smiled._

_"The polls are still out on that."_

_Robin didn't need to see Bruce to know the man was smiling, well as much as Batman could smile. The air seemed breathable __again. E__ven if the two had no idea why it had become so unbearable in the first place__. B__ut Robin wasn't planning on trying to figure that out anyways. Sl__ee__pily, he rubbed his eyes and bit back a yawn._

_"You should get some sleep," Bruce said over the phone his voice back to normal, he was Batman once more. It never ceased to amaze Dick when he did that whole I-know-what-you're-doing-even-if-I'm-not-there-routine._

_"I will. But, Batman, what Phantom is goes beyond what any of the scientists are saying, and if anyone should find out…"_

_"That won't happen, but it doesn't mean the kids off the hook for his alleged crimes. I still don't trust him."_

_"You don't trust Kid Flash either."_

_'Or anyone' Robin mentally thought though his reply was tethered by a surge of affection for his mentor. God, he was so paranoid…and over protective._

_"The kid doesn't understand the meaning of 'quiet recon'. His mentor isn't any better either," Batman all but growled._

_"Yes, we all know about the Dubai incident, moving on."_

_Robin thought he heard a batarang explode in the background, and Alfred groan about a priceless artifact, but he smartly kept his mouth shut._

_"Regardless, the League has taken an interest in Phantom, and while they don't have enough evidence to open an official investigation, know that you and the Titans are treading over very thin ice."_

_Robin felt the warning and the burden s__a__t heavily on his shoulders. It immediately started weighing him down._

_"Got it."_

_"Very well, and Robin, be careful."_

_With this the line went dead and Robin set the phone down on the carpet._

That was over an hour ago and finally Robin decided he should probably try to get the feeling back in his toes. Getting up, the teen trudged over to his bed and sat down. He felt his mind clouding over in sleep and his eyes slipped closed.

Robin expected to fall on the soft black sheets and feel the whisper of the pillow, when chains clinked around his chest.

The young teen gave a startled cry, he tried to move and pain flared up his arms bound up high behind his back, he couldn't feel his hands. He opened his eyes from behind the lens of his mask and looked up to see the scarred muscle of Harvey Dent.

"What's wrong? Afraid of chance?"

The floor was smeared in his own blood, and he reached out with his one good hand. The water on the cement ground lapped at his side, mixing with the oil and iron, and it burned more than anything else.

Robin tried to crawl away, and he screamed out at the fire burning below his ribs, the young teen froze when he heard the click of the gun.

"I'm afraid this isn't your lucky day."

The last thing the boy heard was the gun going off.

"Robin!"

Robin startled awake. Sitting straight up in his bed, the covers twisted around his hips, his ragged breaths the only sound in the room. Running a hand through his sweat damp hair, the teen looked around, taking in his surroundings. The sun set streamed in through the cracks in his blinds, and Robin couldn't remember falling asleep. That had been over eleven hours ago. Sighing, the teen stood up and stretched, bending backwards and feeling his joints give a series of small pops. Robin went down fully into a backbend before he kicked his legs up and headed to shower. The remnants of the nightmare already fading.

* * *

><p><em>"Many consider Lightning to be the perfect form of fire. The perfect killer," Pandora explained to Danny who sat hovering beside her<em>_,__ watching as the goddess held out her palm and opened it to create a flame full of colors__. S__hades that the halfa didn't even know fire could make._

_"For those of us with a fire core, what we feel determines the flame's colors. Only a true master can create this flame before you."_

_"What's it called?"_

_"The Phoenix fire."_

_Danny frowned._

_"Oh. I thought it would be the dragon's flame, kind of like in Avatar."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_The teen jumped completely forgetting he'd spoken out loud._

_"Uh, you know Avatar? As is the Last Airbender…never mind."_

_Pandora looked at him with an amused expression but turned back to the fire._

_"No, it's not called that, I'm afraid."_

_"But if I only use Lightning, why are you telling me about the phoenix flame?"_

_"Fire," Pandora corrected automatically. "Because as a ghost__,__ we feel things differently than humans. They feel things the strongest when it comes from the heart and the __body. B__ut we, we feel from our mind and the environment. It is why we are so powerful when we arrive in the Human Zone."_

_"You feed off the emotions and substances of others," Danny clarified. The goddess nodded._

_"Yes, if done correctly it does no harm, but as you are aware hardly those of peace choose to leave the Ghost Zone."_

_Danny couldn't help but agree. Yet what Pandora was saying, the halfa couldn't really understand because it sounded nothing like how Frostbite, Clockwork or even Pandora herself, treated him._

_"So, you don't feel with your hearts?"_

_The woman chuckled._

_"Danny, as ghosts our hearts, as you say, are our cores. But make no mistake the bonds we forge, who we love and hate, is still the same as humans. We merely process things differently."_

_"And me?" Danny asked uncertain__.__ Pandora gave him a warm smile. One filled with the pride of a mother, and the halfa needed a moment to recollect his thoughts._

_"You, my Great One, are capable of feeling with not only your human heart but also your ghost mind__. T__hey are one in the same. It is why the littlest things can impact you."_

_Realization lit up Danny's face._

_"Back in the lab today, I was so excited to see Clockwork again I didn't even realize I was showing a side of myself to Raven she had never seen before."_

_Pandora nodded. "Indeed, it is also why you are capable of shielding your thoughts and feelings from others. Because as ghosts, we are so connected by the ectoplasm in our veins and in the air__,__ we've learned to shield ourselves from each other whereas no such problem exists between humans, and their Zone._

_"And all this Avatar stuff has to do with my new power because…"_

_The goddess lifted up one perfect eyebrow but continued, "In order to control Lightning, and to stop it from bleeding off its charge, you must be completely at peace both on the outside and on the inside. That is why mastering Lightning is so difficult__. E__ven for the most experienced ghosts."_

_Danny looked at Pandora like she'd just grown another set of arms._

_"You've got to be kidding me!"_

_Pandora let Danny rant for a couple of minutes over this and over the show he'd mentioned and that he should have just gone and drunk tea with Iroh, even if he was a fictional character before she asked him to focus once more._

_"I do__ not__ know how much power you can release at a time before the risk becomes too great__. S__o I am merely going to show you a routine to help gain your focus on clearing __your__ mind and body."_

_Danny looked up to the goddess and nodded._

_"How?"_

_"Well, first it requires…" the teen waited while Pandora paused for dramatic effect._

_"Waiting…"_

_The goddess suddenly lunged at him, her four arms extended out to her sides and a big smile on her face._

_"A Hug!"_

_"Gah!"_

_She squealed and grabbed Danny in her arms, crushing the halfa._

Danny woke up with a start and realized he couldn't breathe.

"Star…fire," he wheezed out. The Tameranian sometime during the day had moved and effectively wrapped her arms around the teen's waist. Spooning him from behind and making him her teddy bear or a full body pillow. Danny didn't know which, and the situation was only made worse when he realized Beastboy was lying across his legs, and he could feel the drool soaking into his pant leg. Starfire shifted, and Danny felt his ribs groan and his lungs begin to burn with the need for air. There was a series of pops in Danny's spine before he remembered to go intangible, and he fell through the bed.

The teen hit the floor with a thud.

"Omph…"

Danny gave a groan and pulled himself out from underneath the bed and looked over at his still sleeping friends. The only thought running through his mind at the moment was, _how the hell did they get there?_ Groggily, the memory was catching up with him, and pushing back all the sexually inappropriate jokes he could pull, Danny realized, he didn't really care.

Hell, when Sam and Tucker were still alive often times, after a hard patrol, the three of them would sit down on Sam's king size bed, pass out from exhaustion, and then wake up in the morning and realize they had school. Danny had to fly Tucker back to his house before his parents realized he'd slept with his two best friends.

Danny stopped thinking and realized that even in his own mind, that still sounded perverted. Stretching a little, the teen walked over to the bay windows and ran his hand along the smooth glass. Robin had said there was a ghost shield which meant…slowly, lightning began to pool in his fingertips, and Danny watched as the glass absorbed the extra energy.

Satisfied, the halfa released all of the charge and watched it fan out and disappear into the Tower's main frame. Turning, he headed for the living room. Opening the doors, Danny stepped in and let his eyes adjust to the room as the last streaks of orange and yellow mixed with the florescent lights of the Tower. The looming clouds in the sky promising a heavy rain. Blinking a couple of times, Danny noticed Robin sitting on the countertop dressed in sweatpants and a red hoodie, scribbling on a tablet. The ice sculpture sitting beside him.

"Do you even own anything that's not red, yellow, black or green?"

The teen jumped slightly. His mask turning upwards in surprise before he smirked.

"No."

The halfa walked over and plopped down on a stool. Robin focused once again on the screen. Looking closely, Danny could see the black neck line of the teen's uniform which disappeared underneath the hoodie, guess the teen never took it off. The thought was a little depressing knowing that where ever Robin went, he was always masked. After all, Danny had the good fortune to be able to change within the blink of an eye. But Robin and the others had no such chance. Not that it stopped them from leading normal lives. It just meant they always had to be on the alert, prepared for anything.

"Huh, the power to the main frame got some extra juice. Guess Cyborg must be working on it," Robin said offhandedly, and Danny turned scarlet before he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Ugh, yeah about that…"

Robin looked at him curiously, and the halfa decided he should explain.

The sky continued to darken with unnatural swiftness and soon the pattering of rain started to beat against the windows and slowly the rest of the Titans began to drift in all looking well rested.

"We'll figure this out. I promise."

Danny felt himself relax at Robin's reassurance and already the two had been hashing out ideas on how to solve the problem.

"What's up ya'll?" Cyborg greeted walking in. Raven, Starfire and Beastboy were already there eating cereal from the box.

"Hey, what's this thing?" the changeling asked pointing to the mini ice portal, speaking through a mouth full of coco puffs.

"A meat-cicle," Danny smartly replied. The Titan gulped right as the alarm went off by the time Danny turned to look at the screen Robin was snapping on his cape.

"There's a break in at the Star Video Store. Titans, go!"

All of them took off.

* * *

><p>The cashier tried to get away from the giant man eating television with its massive cords sticking out of him like a giant octopus. The sixteen year old tripped, and she knew she should have taken that job at the red box theater. Behind the hissing screen was the man controlling it. He was an overweight shorty, with long red hair and grease stains on his white shirt. The trench coat with the shoulder pads didn't help, and he looked like he'd come back from a bad comic con convention. The TV advanced before he pushed a red button on his remote which looked like a TV remote with a dragons head, and the thing paused.<p>

"Okay, either you admit that Wrap Trek V, which reunited the entire original cast of the original TV series, deserves to be on your favorites rentals list, or…"

He pressed a button, and the TV let out a feral growl.

Lucy screamed and scooted back into the register counter.

"Please, I don't even know what Warp Trek is!"

The man let out a victorious smile.

"And that, my little trouble, is exactly why you must be destroyed."

He pressed the button and the TV advanced, Lucy dived behind the register. Cy let loose his sonic canon and blasted the electric monster all the way to the other side of the store. The man turned his head, and there were the Teen Titans, all glaring at him. He smiled and hoped across the shelves with surprising ease.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old arch nemesis….nemesis's, the Teen Titans," he said trailing off when he realized that it was six instead of one. Danny raised an eyebrow at his friends.

"You guys know him?"

"Not in the slightest," Raven replied, already looking bored.

"Um…yeah," Beastboy droned, "who are you?"

The guy hoped back a couple of shelves and pressed the TV remote. All of the screens in the store clicked on and showed his ugly face.

"I am the master of monsters. I am your darkest nightmares come to life. I am…Control Freak!"

All the TV's said before bursting into rounds of applauses.

"A couch potato with a supped up remote, I'm petrified," Raven monotoned. She was really bored now, but Control Freak smiled darkly and pressed a blood red button.

"You will be."

All of them were surrounded by evil shelves, cut out posters and flying cash registers. It didn't take long for the team to destroy them. It was by far one of the easiest fights Danny had been in, and he could tell the rest of the team felt the same way. In less than a minute, Robin told Danny to turn on the sprinkler system, and when the water cascaded over the destroyed store, all the electronics frizzed out, and Control Freak was left with one soggy, unusable remote.

"Ah! My remote, I can't live without my remote!"

Robin grabbed it and threw Control Freak into one of the still standing shelves.

"Ever think you watch too much TV?" he snarled

"This isn't over!"

While the man continued to scream at Robin. Danny rolled his eyes and spotted a King KitKat bar on the floor.

"Cool, dibs."

He'd just finished the bar when Cyborg came back in the store still clutching his stomach.

"Danny, no!"

"Why?"

The halfa suddenly felt his stomach give a loud protest and soon he was flying out the door to the nearest trash bin. Cyborg following him out. Beastboy suddenly remembered what day it was and dove into the pile of DVD's. He quickly found what he was looking for.

"Guys, check it out. Movie night!" he exclaimed holding up a new DVD release called Wicked Scary. The changeling ran up to Lucy, the cashier, who was now poking her head above the counter only to have Beastboy hand her a movie.

"Oh, I know I have my rental card somewhere."

Lucy watched as the teen emptied out his pockets, and finally she couldn't take it anymore. She'd been around enough movies for the night.

"Just take it."

She gave it back to him, grabbed her umbrella and bolted.

* * *

><p>The rain was pouring down in sheets of water, the thunder booming loudly as the lightning flashed across the sky. Robin, who was used to the storms, merely ignored it as he placed the remote on a podium inside the evidence room of the darkened Tower. The intercom clicked on, and Beastboy's voice rang over the system.<p>

"Robin, emergency! Get up here now!"

The boy wonder burst through the living room doors.

"Report, what's the problem?"

He was met with Danny, Cyborg, Starfire and Raven all sitting on the couch while Beastboy stood in front of the TV glaring up at him.

"What's the problem? The problem is, it's show time, and you're not in your seat."

The scowl he sent Beastboy was one of the upmost annoyance, but the teen paid it no mind. Robin front flipped over the couch and landed in between Star and Raven, the smell of sweet popcorn reached his nose.

Star looked over to the halfa and mechanical teen and held out the popcorn.

"Cyborg, Danny, you are sure you do not desire unhealthy sugar treats?"

Both teens turned green and held their stomachs tenderly. Danny figured they'd now be friends for life since they had the unpleasant experience of sharing a trash can together. Cyborg silently agreed, although this was a topic never to be brought up again…ever.

"Ugh, make it go away," Cy groaned, holding his nose closed.

Starfire gave a concerned look but turned back to Beastboy as he popped in the DVD. The storm outside continued to rage making the changeling's fangs glitter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the scariest night of your lives. Maybe Control Freaks monsters didn't scare you," he stated in a creepy voice while walking around each one of them, "But this movie is going to freak you out." Beastboy ended that by looking at Raven, but the girl merely lowered her book and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever."

Beastboy felt the smirk he was wearing shatter like glass, and Robin chimed in.

"Can't be any worse than that document on hotdogs Starfire made us watch."

She smiled in pure amazement.

"It was fascinating. I had no idea Earth people ate so many pigs, and insects," she told Danny. Both he and Cyborg turned sickly shades of green.

Beastboy was getting annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, bugs and hotdogs, big deal. This movie is supposed to be cursed. People watch it, strange things happen, evil things. Muhahaha!"

Danny found the laugh lacking any evilness, but Raven beat him to the punch line.

"Just start the movie."

Beastboy glared but obliged and flipped on the TV. The entire room went pitch black, and the title appeared in blood red letters. It was by far the scariest thing any of them had ever seen, and by the end of the movie Beastboy was behind the couch, Starfire was quivering behind Robin's cape, and Danny and Cyborg were shaking, grasping each other's hands in order to prevent them from accidentally destroying the screen. Even Raven had her mouth open in terror. And when the lady went down into the basement one last time and the cloaked monster appeared behind her, she screamed right along with everybody else. The movie ended and the screen went black, the only light came from the bolts of lightning outside in the downpour.

"Is it over?" Beastboy shakily asked finally re-emerging from behind the cushion. Starfire trembled.

"I dare not open my eyes to find out."

"Now I'm really sick to my stomach," Cy answered. Danny groaned, silently agreeing that he felt the same way.

"I've fought psychotic villains, robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters, but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen," Robin stated. When he finished, the entire team broke out laughing, playing off the movie and to defrazzle their nerves. Raven, realizing that she was still slack jawed, quickly pulled up her hood and looked up in disinterest.

Beastboy stood up on shaky legs and smiled.

"Did I tell you? Or did I tell you!"

"Thrilling Beastboy, it was wonderfully horrible!" Starfire praised.

"Yeah, when she went into the basement…" Cy stated looking at Robin who nodded vigorously, "and it was right behind her and she turned…"

"I was freaking out!" Cy screamed.

"I wanted to turn it off," Danny admitted. Raven turned back towards her friends' animated conversation and lowered her hood. Beastboy slunk over to her, a satisfied grin on his face.

"So, c'mon, Raven, admit it, you were totally scared."

She raised an eyebrow in annoyance, "I don't do fear."

The rain was still pouring long after the team decided to retire for the night. Raven jolted awake when the thunder cracked and lightning illuminated the shadows in her room.

"Maybe I should consider redecorating."

Her body tense, Raven let her head fall to her pillow when she heard a woman scream.

* * *

><p>Danny bolted upright in bed and instantly transformed. He'd heard the scream and tore through the Tower. The living room doors opened, and he flew in, right as Raven came down the steps joining the rest of the team.<p>

"Who screamed?" she asked, and no one knew the answer.

"Sounded like something from the movie," Robin answered turning to flick on the lights. "Did we leave the TV on?"

Starfire trembled and shook her head.

"We did not, and the movie is right here," She whispered and held up the case, and the lights went out.

"Okay, that's creepy," Cy said he flipped open the flash light on his shoulder and looked around the room.

"The storm probably tripped a circuit breaker," Robin suggested although everyone could hear the quiver in his voice.

"Then why isn't the emergency electricity coming online?" Danny asked his feet hitting the ground next to Cyborg while his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden darkness. A tentacle then laid itself on Robin's shoulder. All the teens froze in disbelieving fear. Robin rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Okay Beastboy, you got us, good one," He laughed and flicked off the green vine. But Beastboy took a step forward from where he'd been hiding behind the halfa.

"Uh, Robin…"

Robin turned around, and there was the monster in his green ripped cloak. The creature tore it off to reveal his slimy bode and his five mouths of sharp serrated teeth. All six of the Titans screamed. The thing attacked, and the team jumped back out of reflex, only this battle was hard. And none of their attacks did any damage.

"Why won't anything work?" Danny screamed dodging a long vine as it tried to impale him through the chest. Raven stepped forward and raised her arms.

"Azarath Metrion Zin…my powers? They aren't working!" she informed as Beastboy tackled her to the ground when the creature lunged for her. The beast disappeared into the floor and left the team exhausted on the ground.

"What was that?" Danny breathed standing up. Cyborg followed and scratched the back of his head in disbelief.

"There was a monster here, right?"

Robin nodded.

"But where did it go?"

"And from where did it come?" Star asked rubbing her upper arm.

Beastboy suddenly realized the answer, "Hello, isn't it obvious? The movie is cursed. Watching it must have opened portal to another dimension. The monster came through the portal, now it's going to hunt us down and eat us, and I'm probably delicious!" Beastboy screamed nearly pulling his hair out. The team all gave him strange looks.

"Alright, setting aside that idea…" Danny said looking back to the team. Robin met his eyes, instantly beginning to catch on.

"Or, Control Freak must have escaped and came to the Tower to get his remote and take his revenge."

"But that doesn't explain why my powers aren't working," Raven stated walking forward calmly. Although on the inside she was anything but calm.

"If that remote can turn candy evil, who knows what else it can do," Cy answered. Thankfully the stomach pains had gone away.

"Whatever's going on, we need to get to the bottom of it. Titans, split up and search the Tower," Robin ordered as the five teens began to head off in different directions, Beastboy flipped out and turned into an octopus and grabbed a hold of all of them and pulled them back to the center of the living room before he turned back and gave them a disbelieving stare.

"Split up? Split up? Did you not see the movie? When you split up the monster hunts you down one at a time. Starting with the good looking comic relief guy, Me!" With that he latched onto the boy wonder and practically crawled on him like a monkey. Robin had to pry him off.

"Get a grip, Beastboy. The monsters not going to eat anybody."

Raven agreed, "He's right, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Lightning tore through the sky and the clash of thunder that followed had all of them on edge. They decided to stick together. The team starting with their rooms, and single file they followed after Cyborg.

"Help, help meeeee…"

Robin looked down the corridor and motioned for them to follow. The voice coming from inside Beastboy's room, and the suspense of what was going to happen gripped the air around them. Cy slid the door open and they all took a step inside.

"Help meee…"

Robin opened the closet door and all of them screamed as the clothes stacked to the ceiling came crashing down over the liquid green shield Danny had placed around them. Out of the piles of clothes toppled a stuffed monkey with cymbals tied to his hands.

"Help me, help me count, one, two, three…"

Everyone glared at a tomato red Beastboy.

"Uh, I've been meaning to get rid of that."

They walked out his room, and Cyborg smiled waving his arms in the air.

"Ooh…look out ya'll, big scary monkey!"

Beastboy smirked and looked over to Raven.

"Yeah, Raven, you should have seen the look on your face."

"You mean _this look?"_ she hissed her violet eyes burning. Beastboy shrunk away.

"Um no, that's more angry than scared."

Raven glowered at him.

"I already told you. I don't get scared."

There was a roar from the shadows, and the monster appeared.

"Titans, move!"

The team took off running, safely rounding a corner when all noises stopped. Danny tried to calm his breathing and pushed off the wall.

"Is it gone?"

Starfire poked her head around the corner and nodded.

"We are safe, for the moment."

Everyone relaxed, and Beastboy couldn't let it go anymore.

"Okay, don't even try to tell me that didn't scar…agh!"

Three vine tentacles shot out and wrapped around the teen, pulling him into a shadowed room the doors slowly shutting.

"Beastboy!"

Everyone ran forward and Robin caught the doors before they sealed shut. Danny flew up to him and helped pry the doors open to reveal… nothing.

"He's gone!" Starfire exclaimed as they looked around the empty evidence room. Control Freaks remote still sat on the podium undisturbed. All of them approached the remote, and Robin picked it up examining it.

"It's right where I left it."

"But how could he conjure these monsters without his technology?" Starfire asked.

"Maybe he had an extra remote. I mean, we have like nine," Cy stated. Robin's forehead creased as he carefully set the remote back down.

"Robin?" Danny asked stepping forward.

"I'm not sure Control Freak has anything to do with this. Danny, are you sure there aren't any ghosts around. The shield might not be working properly."

Danny shook his head.

"I'd know if there were, my ghost sense would have gone off and the only ghosts I know of that can make your nightmares or fears come alive are in hiding."

Robin looked up in realization.

"Fears. That's it. The movie, the monsters, Raven's powers, the answers right in front of us. If it isn't Control Freak then it must be…" he started, but three red eyes opened, and the vines shot out from the shadows latching onto Robin and pulled him back.

"Robin!"

Danny ran forward, grabbing onto his friend when he felt the vines wrap around his waist.

"Ah!" The halfa let go and flung his arm out when he realized he couldn't get out. Cy's hand grabbed his and pulled. Danny let out a pained scream, feeling the muscles in his shoulder pull painfully. But the Titan was already aware that Robin was hidden inside the black hole of the wall, and that was about to be his prison as well. Danny suddenly knew exactly what was going on, and he would have kicked himself if they weren't already in the wall.

"Raven! You have to…"

The vines pulled, and he felt Cy's grip on his wrist disappear.

"Danny, Rob!"

Cyborg ran forward, but it was too late, they were gone. Helpless rage filled Cyborg, and he punched a clean hole straight through the rock before looking back to the shell shocked girls.

"You don't happen to know what Danny was going to say, do you, Raven?"

She shook her head.

Cyborg nodded before heading out the door.

"Then we need to search the Tower."

The three teens scoured every inch of the building till they reached the bottom. There was only one place left to look and none of them wanted to go in there. Cyborg pushed open the doors to the sub level basement, and slowly, the teens made their way down the long set of stairs. Even on the best of days this room was creepy, but now it felt worse than being in a horror movie.

"Oh well, our friends are not present. Let us quickly go back up and see if they…"

Cy grabbed a hold of Starfire and yanked her away from the stairs. She gave a squeak but didn't try to move.

"Not yet, we have to get to the bottom of this."

Starfire shivered, "This unpleasant room is not the bottom?"

Neither Cyborg nor Raven decided to answer that.

"C'mon," Raven ordered, and the three started walking. Starfire hanging close to the back. She heard something patter across the floor with tiny claws and unleashed a star-bolt. The other two Titans nearly jumped out of their skins.

"Starfire!" Cy hissed his mechanical heart pumping furiously. Starfire looked around wildly.

"The floor, I saw something!"

Cyborg turned on his night vision, "My scanners aren't picking up anything. Let's keep moving."

Star took a step forward and heard the scurrying of feet and caught a glimpse of red eyes. Her next star-bolts shook the floor, and both teens flinched, starting to get annoyed because every time she caused their hearts to jack knife.

"Starfire, please stop doing that. There's nothing to be afraid of, it's probably just a few rats," Raven said looking over to the teen. Star looked to her then her eyes trailed upwards and she took a step back.

"Those are not rats," she stated pointing to the beams above their heads. Cyborg and Raven screamed as the black rats with serrated teeth and four red eyes hissed and leapt down onto the floor. They ran. Cy and Raven made it to the ladder when Star screamed, and looking over, both saw her covered in them, dragging her to the floor.

"Starfire!" Cyborg jumped fully prepared to land in the fray when everything went up in smoke including Star. Raven felt her whole body go into shock. Cyborg stood and ran back to the stairs.

"We need to go."

"No, Starfire, Robin…"

"I know!" Cy snapped, but this wasn't up for debate. Quickly, he grabbed Raven by the waist and picked her up. Taking the steps two at a time out of the basement.

The doors closed behind them, and he sat the Titan down gently.

"We should go back, there's still a chance we can save her," Raven demanded. Cyborg flipped open his shoulder light and started up the stairs.

"We won't save anybody if whatever this is gets us too. We have to get out of here and come back with help," as he said this, Cy activated his canon and rounded the corner. Raven clinging close to him, she didn't even realize the tremble in her skin. Cyborg sent her a reassuring smile.

"We'll get through this alright, don't be scared."

Raven glared.

"For the last time, I am not scared," she said pushing forward. The light began to dim.

"Cyborg, I could use a little more light…"

He was gone.

Something screeched, and Raven felt her blood run cold. A large black bird came soaring at her, its jaws open. She bolted down the hall as the bird rammed into the wall. It was gaining, and Raven could feel the flap of its wings. It opened its jaws, and Raven dove to the ground skidding into an open room, slamming the door closed behind her. Breathing hard, she struggled figure out where she was, when in a flash the room was illuminated into different shades of white. She was in Danny's room and there, still asleep on the bed, was the halfa. Raven felt relief flood her system.

"Danny? Danny, wake up."

Raven shook the teen awake watching the ice blue eyes dilate slightly before focusing on her.

"Raven? What are you doing in my room?" he asked sitting up tiredly. Raven didn't know what was going on anymore, and she couldn't get her heart to stop hammering in her chest.

"You don't remember?"

Danny was awake now. His eyes intensely focused.

"Remember what? Raven, what is going on? Why are you so…"

"Don't say scared," she hissed to the teen who scooted back a little in nervousness.

"Jittery, I was going to say jittery."

Raven stood up and ran a hand through her hair.

"After the movie we heard a scream. All of us went to the living room, you included, and we were attacked by the monster."

"You mean the one from the movie?"

Danny clarified getting up, his face serious.

"Yes. And steadily, the creature started taking us. Beastboy was first, followed by Robin and you, then Starfire and now Cyborg. But what are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I have no idea what you're talking about unless…but that's impossible."

"What?" Raven asked.

Both jumped when they heard a screech come from the closet. The bird burst through the door, and Danny grabbed Raven's arm, pulling them through the wall. Raven landed with a thump and looked over to Danny preparing to run when she saw him collapse onto the ground.

"Danny?!"

His breath was labored, and the raven haired teen let out a groan.

"I won't be doing that again, whatever happened to me while I was gone must have zapped all my powers, I can't go ghost."

Raven pulled him to his feet and ignored how helpless she felt.

"C'mon, we have to…"

The wall exploded, and both teens headed for the elevator, the doors slammed shut and started moving right as the bird slammed into it. Raven looked over to her friend in a panic and noticed he was gripping his side.

"What's wrong?"

Danny shook his head and closed his eyes.

"Not sure. But…ah!"

He screamed, and Raven looked down in dread as the floor began to fill with thick black tar. The bells dinged, the doors slid open and both Titans screamed as they slid into the main living room. The storm outside was raging, and all around them they could see red gleaming eyes. Raven and Danny were back to back. Both watching while the room filled with rats, and the vine monster, the black bird's eyes painted the entire glass, and Raven didn't know what to do.

"Danny, can you try to phase us out of the Tower? We need too…"

She heard him give a small chuckle, and froze in terror. Raven felt him turn and his lips brushed past her ear. Sending horrible chills down her spine.

"Now Raven, why would want to avoid this fear?"

"No!"

She spun around, and he caught her in a death hug. Never before had Danny seemed malicious, not even when she'd met Dan. Raven screamed and struggled, but those blue eyes held all her attention, and he gave a grin as the monsters began to swirl around their feet.

"Danny, let me go!"

He turned his head and smirked.

"No."

Raven desperately tried to find her footing as his arms began to crush her lungs. She felt her palms skate across his hips and remembered that he had been clutching his side.

"Let me go!"

The halfa's eyes held a look Raven could never describe, and she cried out. Sweetly, he drew closer, his forehead resting on hers, and Rae twisted her palm a little, right over the wound she'd seen, just a little more. Danny smiled.

"Now Raven, why are you doing this? You can't avoid your fate."

The halfa twisted and had her arm in his, pain flared as the wrist bones in her right arm turned unnaturally. Her palm digging into his side, vicious pleasure contorted his face. And Raven felt the rats crawling up her legs.

"After all, it really is quite dark."

Lightning flashed through the entire room, and Raven was looking into the pure black eyes of her friend.

"No, I'm not afraid!"

Feverently, she pulled at her wrist, and the laugh Danny gave would forever haunt her. It sounded unhinged and without care. It sounded distorted.

"Afraid? Why be afraid of your fate, if you can't even save mine?"

The smell of iron filled the room, and Raven felt something warm slip through her fingers. Danny let go of her hand and took a step back, his black eyes emotionless pits. The Titan looked down at her palm and screamed, for blood painted it.

"No!"

The black bird crept forward from behind the glass, and Raven felt tears pour down her face, the blood slid down her wrist tracing the veins. It was then she truly realized; she was afraid. No, she was _terrified_. And this was all her fault.

"I won't let this control me anymore!"

Raven looked up, and her eyes went black. She looked at Danny's own which widened in shock. Raven screamed out her chant and all the creatures wailed in pain, disappearing. The last was the black bird as it spun high into the sky before diving back down, going deep within Raven. She collapsed on the ground, and the last thing the teen could remember was the gash in Danny's side. Thankfully, unconsciousness followed, and the blackness turned to sweet numbfull bliss.

* * *

><p>Slowly, the teen woke to see her friends standing over her. Cyborg carefully helping her to standup.<p>

"Raven," Robin spoke softly, the same tone he always used to calm her down when she felt her emotions swirling out of control.

"You're all okay?"

"We were never really in any danger," Robin clarified.

"Say what?" Cy said while Beastboy promptly freaked out.

"Did you not see the monsters?!"

Robin nodded but continued.

"We saw them, but they were never really there. Raven was afraid. But when she wouldn't talk about it, the fear found another way out."

Starfire gasped at the realization.

"Her powers."

Robin gave a nod, "Once you accepted your fear, you regained control over it."

"You mean Raven made all of those creepy crawly things by accident?" Beastboy asked, the entire team looked at her, and Raven felt her face heat up.

"Um…sorry."

The team turned around when they felt the first rays of the sun begin to peak over the ocean and Cyborg gave a yawn.

"Sunrise, time for bed."

As Robin, Cyborg and Starfire headed to bed, Beastboy and Danny stuck around. The changeling looking deep in thought.

"So, your version of a haunted house is way creepier than that stupid movie. Any chance you'd want to do this all again for Halloween?"

"I don't think so," Raven said fondly, Danny groaned.

"But if you did then I could get some sweet payback on Dash for loosing that bet and having to eat his underwear!"

Both teens looked over at Danny, clearly grossed out, and the halfa blushed.

"It's a long story."

Beastboy nodded before saying goodnight and left. Raven remained basking in the light streaming through the windows when she felt the halfa give a yawn.

"Well, I'm going to get some shut eye."

She inclined her head and watched Danny turn but pause.

"So aside from the Wicked Scary monster, what else did you see?"

When Raven turned to look at his glowing green eyes for a second, she swore they were pitch black. The light in the room shifted, and she saw Phantom standing there once more. Raven blinked and gave a realistic smirk.

"Rats."

Danny gave an 'eep' before flying off to his room.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

There will be two Robins: Jason Todd in Gotham and Dick Grayson in Jump. This is how I'm overlapping the storylines. Right now, Dick is 15 and Jason is 12.

This storyline does not have Dani. Therefore, Valarie still hates Phantom and also works for Vlad. Freelancing with the GiW as well.

~Rin


	28. Chapter 21: Dating Destiny

_Something's closing in..._

"_Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway." ~Elbert Hubbard_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 21: Dating Destiny

Danny sat at the cash register, lazily watching the dust swirl in the air above his head. It felt nice to be back in the store. It was peaceful, and after Raven's tripped-out haunted house. Exactly what the halfa needed. All of the Titans were in need of some down time anyways, so the teen gave a content sigh let his eyes close, and a ruler whacked his head. Danny gave a yelp and tipped back in his chair nearly falling out of his seat.

"Ah!...Fixit? What was that for?" Danny asked irritably looking up to his robot friend. Fixit rolled his ocean blue eyes.

"For sleeping on the job."

Danny looked around the store to see the customers lazing about. Danny gave his best hurt puppy dog expression and sniffled.

"But it's such a slow day, and I did kind of use to sleep up here when I owned the place."

Fixit took a seat next to him and smiled.

"Well I'm making a few changes, and what kind of boss would I be if I am ruled by favoritism?"

_Dang, he had a point_. Danny tried to pretend he wasn't sulking.

"Tyrant."

"Thank you," the robot replied not missing a beat, and Danny had to admit, in the couple of months since he'd met the guy, it was wonderful to see how Fixit had changed. The robot had done away with his robe instead choosing a dark navy blue turtle neck and a nice pair of black slacks. Although the robot still preferred to go barefoot, it merely made Fixit, well Fixit.

"What?"

"Nothing," Danny replied when the robot caught him smiling.

"So, what can you tell me about the natural portals?" Danny asked changing the subject.

Getting down to business, the robot pulled out his tablet and set it on the desk displaying a map of the entire world.

"In the past four months, the dimensional portals connecting our World to the Ghost Zone have increased drastically."

Danny watched as hundreds of bright red dots popped up all around the globe.

"Whoa, normally there are only about twenty to forty a year, all this happened in four months?" he asked with slight worry.

Fixit nodded. "Yes, I compiled the information by checking and rechecking the weather reports and atmospheric data, and I believe it is still rising."

"Then where are the ghosts?"

"I do not know, but most portals are only open for a couple of seconds, ten being the highest."

Danny shook his head, "A second is all they need. What's the portal activity around Jump City?"

Before Fixit could answer, both heard a startled gasp and looked up to see, "Valarie!"

Danny exclaimed his hand immediately covering the screen. But it wasn't necessary because the Huntress couldn't take her eyes off her friend.

"Danny, why are you…"

Fixit realizing the uncomfortable situation gave a small cough, pocketing the device, both teens looked at him.

"Well, I can see you two require catching up."

Danny gave Fixit a panicked look, but the robot knew there was no way the halfa could get out of this. Inclining his head politely to Valarie, he headed over to the pastry counter, leaving the two standing alone. Valarie felt her heart flutter when Danny turned around and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. It was a habit she'd always find endearing.

"So, um…I think…"

"We should take this somewhere more private," Valarie stated because this definitely wasn't a conversation she could have in public. Thankfully, Danny seemed to agree and headed for the door behind him.

"Um, a closet isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Danny rolled his eyes and opened the door revealing a set of stairs. "Why does everyone assume it's a closet?"

* * *

><p>Killer Moth's dream was about to be realized, and the giant bug man couldn't help but laugh as he looked at his swarm safely contained behind the glass cages in his basement. Soon the city would be his, and everyone would fear him.<p>

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Well, all but one person.

The villain ran upstairs to the bubble gum pink room from where his daughter was pacing furiously.

"What is it, Kitten? Daddy's working," he gritted out, not really liking that he had been interrupted.

The blonde girl fumed.

"My boyfriend Fang broke up with me! Me! And now I don't have a date for the prom!" Kitten screamed before she launched onto her bed and broke down crying. The giant moth man sat down on her bed and hesitantly rubbed her back. Give him mutated larva any day but ask him to figure out what his daughter was feeling: Impossible.

"There, there, I'm sure you'll find someone else to take you."

"Ugh, prom's tomorrow, Daddy. I don't have time to find another date. So you're going to find one for me."

Killer Moth stood up and crossed his arms, "Now Kitten, be reasonable, you don't seriously expect me to find you a date," he growled looking down to his pouting daughter. Kitten sat up and hissed.

"And I don't want just anyone, I want someone handsome and popular and totally cool. Someone no other girl could get, someone who will drive Fang wild with jealously, I want…"

Robin flipped over the building and landed on his motorcycle, he pulled on his helmet and took off into the night.

* * *

><p>Silently, Valarie watched as Danny moved around the small kitchen. She still couldn't believe it. That he was here. She never thought she'd see him again. The kettle began to steam, and soon Valarie had a warm cup of tea placed in her hands. Danny took a seat across from her and looked anywhere but her eyes.<p>

"So…"

"Where have you been? After your parents, you just disappeared."

Danny flinched slightly but otherwise didn't move.

"I'm sorry. I needed to leave. Amity Park isn't exactly a place of good memories for me."

Valarie winced, "I know. But you left, without telling anyone, without telling me."

Valarie shouldn't have said that because once she did, it reopened all the wounds she had cauterized. Feelings she thought had burned out long ago surged through her with a passion, and the shocked looked Danny was giving her made everything hurt so much worse. The Huntress looked down to her steaming mug and gave a sigh.

"Danny, I know I said that I couldn't be with you. And I truly believed that, I still do in some ways. The things I've seen, I would never wish upon you. But when you left, when I couldn't see you anymore, it was then I realized that I let something great slip by me, and I don't want that to happen again." With this she set the fine china on the table and met his eyes. Danny sat there in shock. Yet his blue orbs held more understanding then Valarie ever thought possible. He broke the spell by looking away, and spoke barely above a whisper.

"And your mission?"

Valarie clenched her fists underneath the table.

"It still matters to me. I have to protect the world from Phantom."

"You mean as the Red Huntress."

Valarie looked up, startled as she met his eyes and grim smile.

"How did you know?"

"My parents were ghost hunters, Val. I've known since I saw Phantom tear away your mask before he stole the ecto-suit to defeat Pariah Dark."

Valarie felt like a crying. He had known for that long, and she had been so blind sighted by her obsession.

"Danny, I…"

Danny stood up suddenly and turned away, tearing Valarie apart in the process.

The halfa felt his emotions going into hyper drive. He didn't know what to feel, and he didn't know what to do. Seeing Valarie so hurt over him, it was shocking. Even when she must have known about him and Sam dating. What had she been going through? But Danny didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to tell her, the girl who wanted half of him dead?

Danny would never regret liking Valarie. Moving to put his cup in the sink, Danny fought to find the words. But he felt the communicator in his pocket start to vibrate. Crap, he couldn't exactly answer it without revealing that he knew the Titans and Danny wasn't about to risk the coincidence of knowing them. Turning around he braced himself on the counter.

"Valarie, I'm not upset or anything, you did what you believed was right. You still do."

Valarie looked down at her hands, and it was now or never. Danny looked up to the TV, surrounding it in green energy and it clicked on. The soft volume began to filter in the silence when a voice caught both Val's and Danny's attention.

"And the Titans are still pursuing the unknown jewel thief whose hit five stores so far and doesn't seem to be slowing down."

Val stood up with a worried expression on her face before turning to Danny with pleading eyes.

"I need to go. Thanks for, well listening."

Danny nodded feeling guilt punch low in his gut. Taking a bracing breath, he was about to do something he'd more than likely regret.

"No problem, and Valarie, my place is always open."

The girl paused by the archway, her lips parting in shock and for the first time in a long time she truly smiled.

"Thanks, um…actually, I have a new apartment here. I got a scholarship to attend an Academy here so if you ever need to reach me," she pulled out a small card in her hand and gave it to Danny who took it and smiled.

"Thanks."

Valarie nodded and raced up the stairs. The second Danny heard the doors, he transformed and took out the device to get a fix on their positions. Robin being the furthest away. Green energy pooled and the halfa teleported. It was a testament to Robin's training that he didn't fall out of the sky when Danny appeared next to him. The Titan pulled out another line and flew over a building.

"Who's the bad guy?"

"Some teen with a spider for a head."

The halfa followed Robin's eyes to the dark silhouette, and he nearly gagged: _a spider for a head?_ More like a gigantic spider that had four long hooked legs with a teen's body stuck underneath it.

"Yikes."

Danny took off flying straight up the building, ready to release an ectoblast. Robin right behind him preparing to unleash a disk when the spider spun suddenly and shot a purple looking blast hitting Robin dead in the chest. Danny whipped around and witnessed his friend begin to free fall. None of his limbs moving.

"Robin!"

A blast hit Danny square in his neck. He felt his body grow heavy. They were more than sixty stories up, this was going to hurt. But Danny couldn't think about that, all he saw was his friend falling ahead of him.

"Robin! Danny!"

Starfire dove and caught the boy wonder around the middle, and Danny by one of his arms before flying them safely back to the ground. The spider boy long gone. At least the position Danny had landed in allowed him to stand. Star had to hold Robin up by the elbow.

"They are okay?" Star asked. Cyborg stepped forward to run preliminary scans.

"Yeah, the venoms effect is only temporary."

Robin let out a growl.

"Getting away, we have to go after him."

Danny suddenly collapsed on the ground and gave a muffled groan.

"Ow."

"Danny?!" Beastboy bent down to help the teen get up on shaky legs.

"What was that about temporary?" Danny asked. Robin let out a frustrated sigh, and the halfa flushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, guess my body dispels poison a little quicker."

"That's fine. You guys track down the criminal. Star and I will head back to the Tower," Robin got out.

Danny had to admit, even frozen in place Robin was still a badass leader, not many people could talk through clenched teeth. The team nodded, and Starfire picked up Robin by the waist and took off.

Cy looked over to Danny, "Do you remember which way he was going."

Danny shook his head, "No, but this was the building he jumped over."

The mechanical teen pulled up a holographic map and began a search.

"There's a couple of jewelry stores near the High Water Bridge that crosses the bay, we'll start there."

Raven and Beastboy took flight while Cyborg and Danny headed to his car. The windshield's edges still coated in a spider web. Cyborg looked over to Danny and raised an eyebrow, the halfa crossed his arms defensively.

"What? A guy can't catch a ride?"

"You can't fly yet, can you?" Cy smirked, Danny turned a shade of light green.

"Shut up!"

Cyborg was laughing through the drive the entire time.

* * *

><p>When Starfire landed outside the Tower she hadn't expected to see Valarie standing on the shores. Robin could only make out a red shadow from the corner of his eyes, but he felt Star's arms tighten around him.<p>

"Valarie?"

"I'm sorry, I heard about the robberies, are you alright? What's wrong with Robin?"

Robin gave a huff.

"Fine," he managed to get out between his teeth.

Star looked up at Val and opened the Tower doors.

"We were pursuing a thief with a head of a spider, and Robin was hit with temporary venom."

Valarie nodded and pulled off her helmet as they entered the living room. At this point, Robin really wanted to say that he was right here, but that would take too much effort. Starfire set him down gently and hovered in the air so Robin could at least see her face and her nervous expression.

"Robin, I know Cyborg said the venom would not last but if you wish, there is a Tameranian technique I could try."

The boy wonder immediately felt wary, but whenever Star looked at him like that he couldn't say no.

"Alright."

Starfire broke out in a smile and flew behind him, grabbed his ankles and turned him upside down. Robin was eternally grateful he was an acrobat. But after a few painful pulls he felt his muscles loosen up, and the feeling return to his body. With a final pop, Robin felt the tension ease out of him.

"Better?"

"Whoa, much, thanks."

Robin put one hand on the carpet while pulling out his communicator with the other.

"I welcome you. There are few problems that Tameranian acupressure will not solve," Starfire replied still holding Robin up by the ankles. Val would have laughed at the awkward situation, but Cyborg chose at that moment to pick up.

"Any luck finding our jewel thief?"

Star stepped away, and the boy wonder unconsciously went into a one arm handstand before he brought his legs down to stand up.

"No, we found something worse. We need backup."

"On it, Starfire, Red Huntress and I will be there momentarily."

Meanwhile the four Titans looked up to the blackening sky as the moths descended. Groups of them eating through the metal cords of the suspension bridge. Civilians screamed all around them. Running, trying to get off the bridge as it started to bend and twist like rubber. Danny struggled to find his balance, noticing that many of the victims were skidding across the asphalt along with the cars.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg took off, and Raven lifted him up to one of the soon to be falling beams. He landed on it and immediately started welding it back together. Raven then took up pest control along with Beastboy. The bridge rocked and another line came down, heading straight for a school bus. Danny paled, planting his feet on the ground he threw his arms up. The beam tinged green, and Danny held it above the ground. Slowly, he started adding more lines like a puppet master picking up strings. Trying to return some tension back to the bridge. Looking around, the halfa let out a grunt, the strain starting to wear on his mind and body. The people still weren't moving. Many huddled on the ground screaming in fear.

"Beastboy!" Danny called. The monkey gave a holler from where he was riding a giant moth like a horse taking out the other insects.

"Get the civilians off the bridge!"

More beams began to fall and Danny tried to stabilize the bending road. The monkey hit the ground and rolled into his human form. Yanking people up and out of their cars, and demanding they follow him. Cyborg finished the beam and looked down towards the fellow Titan.

"Danny, send me a cord!"

The teen grunted and raised both broken ends of one up as Cyborg leapt on top of it. He began working past the green energy and set to restoring some of the natural tension. Raven increased her efforts in making sure the bugs stayed off the bridge, blasting away, trying to distract them from their mission. It worked, and like angry bees they turned their attention away from Cy and his work.

"Raven!" The girl turned in the air while out racing the insects. She looked to Beastboy who was passing a little girl back to her mother. But the changeling was pointing straight forward, panic in his eyes. Instantly a black dome shield covered Danny, and the moths wacked into it desperately trying to naw through it. She gave a smirk and continued to blast the bugs off the beams.

Robin snapped the device shut and headed for the door.

"We need to…"

"Don't bother," a voice warned and the three teens turned to look at the screen displaying Killer Moth. "Even if you defeat a few of my children, you won't be able to stop me from unleashing the entire swarm." The background came into focus, and the teens could see thousands of blue insect eyes buzzing about.

"Unless you want your city to be reduced to a moth eaten wasteland, you'll do exactly as I say."

"What do you want?" Robin asked growling.

"My demands are simple. The city will declare me ruler, the Teen Titans will surrender, and Robin…will take this lovely young lady to her junior prom," Killer Moth stated simply, stepping to the side as another window popped up to reveal a girl with blonde hair and a pink headband waving at him.

The silence that followed sounded like a car crash.

"Hi Robbie-pooh!" The girl cooed none too loudly.

Robin felt a shudder run up his spine, and he was left as dumbstruck as the rest of the teens.

"Um…what was that last part again?"

Starfire looked at the girl then back to Robin and felt a strange surge of suspicion in her, "Robin, who is this girl, and why does she call you pooh?" she inquired. Robin twitched like an angry rattlesnake.

"Her name is Kitten, and you will take her to prom!"

Starfire floated up to the TV screen and glared at the girl, "this _Prom_ is some manner of duel, yes? Robin eagerly accepts."

Valarie got the feeling that if Kitten had been here in person, Starfire would have bitch slapped her with that armor glove of hers. Robin gave a dreadful sigh at what he was about to explain.

"It's not a duel, Starfire. It's a date."

Star looked liked she'd been slapped, "He does not accept. Do you hear, Robin does not accept!" She screamed at Kitten who looked a lot like Paulina at the moment, and now Val wanted to hit the girl. Not that Valarie had ever considered hitting that two-faced girly son of a…Robin grabbed the still floating Starfire by the foot and tugged her towards the door, motioning for Valarie to follow.

"We're going to need a minute."

Once in the hall, Starfire started pacing back and forth, ranting. Her eyes electric green, Robin flipped open his communicator and called Cyborg.

"Cyborg? Report, how is it?"

"We could really use some help here, Rob!" Cy yelled not even looking at his com, "Danny, pass me another beam!"

Robin watched his friend before the transmission ended.

"I have to do it," Robin interjected looking back to a still fuming Starfire.

"What?!" She screeched.

Starfire looked like her world was ending.

"It's the only way to save the bridge. The only way to give us enough time to stop Killer Moth," Robin stated heading back down the hallway. Valarie following, and Starfire next to her looking absolutely helpless.

"But…"

"I have to, Starfire. No matter how much I don't want to," Robin explained irritated. The doors slid open, and Valarie placed a comforting hand on Star's shoulder, watching as Robin took a bracing breath. "And I really don't want to."

Robin walked back towards the screen and met Killer Moth's grey insect eyes.

"Do we have a deal?" the villain asked smugly.

"I'll take the girl to prom."

"Don't tell me, ask her," he inclined his hand to Kitten who giggled and gave a cat like meow in the smaller box.

"You've got to be…"

"Do it!"

Grudgingly, Robin turned to Kitten and managed to get the words, "Kitten, would you like to go to the prom with me," out through clenched teeth. Starfire looked like she was about to burst into flames.

"Ohh, Robbie-pooh I'd thought you'd never ask!" she screamed. Robin would rather be impaled by a batarang.

* * *

><p>Danny started to shake as he handed another beam to Cyborg while Beastboy covered the Titan. All the civilians had finally been evacuated. Not that it mattered, more moths kept coming, and Danny couldn't even move for fear of breaking his telekinesis on the bridge. The team felt despair start to sink in, there were too many of them.<p>

"We're not going to make it!"

Right when Cyborg screamed that, all the moths flew away as if the plague had ended. Danny let his power go, and all the Titans landed next to him, covered in sweat and grim, panting in exhaustion. Raven flipped open her communicator, and all of them looked down at Robin.

"I bought you guys some time. Killer Moth, he's controlling the mutant insects, find him and stop him," Robin explained displaying the giant insect picture before a normal, if slightly entitled looking blonde girl popped up on screen, "start your search with her."

"Who is she?" Raven asked.

"She is a manipulative grim-flork not worthy of Robin's time," Starfire interjected angrily. All the teens looked at their leader curiously.

"Name's Kitten, she's got some kind of connection to Killer Moth. Find the connection, and I'll bet you find him. Starfire will join you in the search, Valarie will back me up."

Starfire let out a huff and crossed her arms defiantly.

"Hey, what are you going to do? And why is Valarie there?" Beastboy asked picking up his leader's lack of involvement. Robin looked like a dark cloud had settled over his head.

"I can't, I've got a date."

Danny felt immediate pity for his friend and sympathy when he looked over to the pissed off Starfire. Oh, he remembered when he said he liked Valarie…and Sam's reaction to that. Robin turned to meet Starfire and a look of hurt passed across his eyes but then it was gone.

* * *

><p>"I need you to head out."<p>

Not daring to open her mouth, Star merely took off out the door. Valarie turned back to him and looked at his attire.

"You're going to need a tux."

"And you a dress."

Val nodded but another thought occurred to her, "and a date, the prom we're going to is couples only."

Robin looked momentarily horrified once again being reminded who his date was.

"How do you know?"

"The prom is called Date with Destiny. It's held on the prestigious cruise line Adelphi, and no one gets in without a partner, it's one of the reasons I wasn't allowed to attend my prom."

"I'll contact the team maybe get Danny to…"

Val shook her head, "No need, Phan…Danny, won't exactly blend in."

Robin felt sense of foreboding overcome him, "Who do you have in mind?"

"A friend, name's Danny Fenton. I ran into him at the Bookstore, he's safe and won't compromise our cover."

The floor dropped out under Robin's feet, but he kept himself calm and collected.

"Alright, contact him. We'll meet at the cruise ship in thirty minutes."

The second Robin was safely in his room he contacted Danny.

"Yeah?"

"Get your butt back to the Bookstore and turn into Fenton," he hissed while yanking open his closet and pulling out one of his many tux's.

"_What?_ Why?"

"Because you forgot to mention that Valarie has a crush on your breathing side, and that _she just happened to run into you at the Bookstore_!"

Danny lost what little color was left in his already pale face.

"What?" he squeaked, "you mean she's asking me to that dance?!"

Robin was already buttoning up shirt, furiously trying to locate a normal pair of black shoes.

"Yes. Now go!"

Danny cut the transmission and looked up to his friends who were gazing at him curiously.

"Um…right, I'm needed elsewhere."

"But we could really use your support," Cy stated. Raven nodding in agreement, and logically Danny understood.

"Right, hang on."

Taking a step back, Danny took a breath and split himself in two.

"Whoa!" the teens exclaimed. Danny and his copy opened their eyes.

"Right. I'm heading back to the store."

"And I'm staying here."

"Which one of you is real?"

Both Danny's looked at Beastboy and smiled mischievously.

"We're both real," they said in synch.

"I'm going, my copy will stay with you, be nice," the real Danny informed waving to the white haired copy before flying off. The not-real Danny smiled and waved back.

"Have fun! Don't let Red kill you!" Copy Danny looked over to his Titan friends and shrugged.

"What? If he dies, I disappear, it's very disheartening."

* * *

><p>Danny had literally made it back to the store when he heard Fixit descending down the steps, following the soft click of high heels in front of him.<p>

"I do not recall Danny saying the two of you had plans tonight?" Fixit questioned.

Valarie reached the bottom of the stairs, and her eyes immediately fell on Danny who was reading in the living room. He looked up, and his eyes went wide. For there, Valarie stood in a long dark red dress. Hugging her figure and flaring out slightly at the knees, her blood red pearls dropping dangerously low down her neck and a lace red mask fit snugly over her eyes only showing her hazel gold pupils. She looked stunning.

"Uh, hey Val, did you need something?" Danny asked trying to keep it together. Valarie instantly blushed, suddenly nervous, but she covered it quickly.

"Actually yes, my mission with the Titans requires that I attend a prom tonight, and I need a date," her voice died away, and she drew an arm over to shield herself from rejection and well…okay, Danny seriously wondered where she'd put all of her weapons in that low cut form fitting dress.

"So the Red Huntress needs my help?" Danny clarified standing. He walked up to her and realized that now he needed to look down to meet her eyes.

"Yes, only for the mission," Val answered sounding relieved.

"Alright, let me go get my suit."

Fixit who had been watching the exchange tilted his head in confusion. He would never understand teens.

Thirty minutes later both were pulling up in a cab at the docks. Danny stepped out and held out his arm for Valarie to take. Slowly they made their way through the crowd.

"I hope you bought us tickets," Danny commented. Valarie smiled and opened her small beaded hand bag to reveal the elaborate invitations.

"Stole two and made forgeries, not that hard."

"Cool."

A second later both heard the reeve of an engine, and the R-cycle pulled up. Other teens around them paused, all shocked as Robin got off the bike in a tux and his black domino mask. All the girls swooned. Valarie walked up and smiled. Her covered eyes immediately told all the party goers that she was the Huntress and every guy was instantly envious of Danny.

"Robin."

"Red, glad you could make it."

Valarie nodded and motioned to Danny.

"Robin, this is my date for the night."

"Danny Fenton," Danny replied shaking the boy wonder's hand, and the halfa could tell his friend was smiling a little. Danny suddenly felt he'd been coerced here simply because Robin wanted someone else to be miserable with him. Jerk.

"How did you two meet?"

"The Bookstore, we ran into each other and reconnected," Val said simply. Danny rushed to clarify when the edge of Robin's mask tilted up slightly.

"We used to go to the same high school. So, where's your date?"

To Valarie and any other possible ease droppers, it was only mildly curious. Only Robin could hear the added weight.

"Hopefully, she won't show."

Robin then watched his friends look up suddenly and their jaws hit the floor. Well, there went all his hope. Bristling slightly, the teen turned around expecting to see blinding hot pink, but what he saw froze the breath in his lungs.

"Starfire?"

The Tameranian girl was beyond stunning and a light blush dusted her cheeks as she met his eyes. It made Robin's heart do double time.

"On such occasions I believe it is customary to wear a dead plant?" she held out a pale purple carnation and placed it in his breast pocket. Smoothing it out with her elbow length silver gloves. It matched her shimmering dress that fell off her shoulders and revealed the lines of her back. Robin looked up to her and truly smiled in joy and relief, mainly relief.

"Star, you're supposed to be helping the others track down Killer Moth," he stated having completely forgotten about their two friends watching the exchange for possible blackmail material. Star gave a humph and crossed her arms.

"Your orders were to investigate the girl and use Valarie as back up. Therefore, I intend to investigate her thoroughly."

Val chucked and leaned up to whisper in Danny's ear, "You can never win in an argument against a woman." Danny snorted in amusement.

"Unless you're Dr. House," he replied, and Val gave a strangled giggle trying not to ruin the moment for the two lovebirds who had yet to realize they were still standing there. Star continued, not having heard that.

"Besides, you may require saving. This Kitten is perhaps some form of ooze monster in disguise. She certainly is ugly like a monster, yes?"

Robin found himself feeling strangely happy that Starfire was insulting his date for him because she was worried for his safety. It sent waves of pleasure and affection through him. Robin had to shake himself to get back on topic.

"But Star, to get in, you require a date."

"Danny will help me with that."

Danny instantly tensed before giving her a sheepish smile.

"Um…I will?"

Starfire, instantly catching her mistake looked over to him and nodded while Robin and Danny prayed she came up with a great lie since Valarie looked really confused as to why Starfire knew Danny but not Robin.

"Yes, we met at the Rave of Techno. You found me on the roof when my sister had been mean to me. Your advice was most satisfactory."

Valarie watched recognition flash in Danny's ice blue eyes.

"You were the girl wearing the bubble gum pink wig!"

Star smiled and nodded the three Titans instantly relaxing into the lie, and Valarie was about to say something when a hot pink limo rounded the corner and out stepped Kitten who grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"Yoo-whoo, Robbie-pooh, your Kitten has arrived."

Robin visibly cringed at both his nick name, that she actually meowed, and the fact even a deaf person would have heard her.

"Second thought, maybe I will need saving," he growled before walking off leaving Danny and Valarie trying to physically hold back Starfire.

Resigned to his fate. Robin trudged over to Kitten while all the on lookers gave him confused glances.

Kitten rushed into his arms and proudly began to speak, "Oh, Robin, my date, Robin," she caressed his face, and it made his skin crawl. "Don't you look handsome." She leaned in to whisper to him when he didn't so much move a muscle.

"Compliment me on my dress."

Robin grit his teeth, "No."

"Do it! Or else."

"Nice dress."

Kitten exploded, "Oh, Robin you're such a gentleman."

By now everyone was looking at them, and all Robin wanted to do was melt into the docks and disappear into the ocean. Kitten's voice seemed to grow even louder, like she was speaking through a megaphone, "Not at all like my worthless ex-boyfriend, Fang."

She slid up to him and held out her arm, "Now take my arm and lead me inside, and would it kill you to smile?" she growled.

Danny swore he could hear the bones in Robin's jaw creak from all the way where he stood. The boy wonder's smile looked like it was made of cracked glass.

"Maybe," was his only reply, and they headed inside.

The tips of Starfire's shoes scrapped the cement as she flew up to the limousine. Her eyes beyond electric green, she raised a fist and the whole machine crumpled like an accordion.

Danny and Val walked up to her.

"So what's the plan?" Danny asked trying to pacify his friend. Star grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.

"We go in first, and then I fly you back to Valarie."

Danny had only enough time to snatch the tickets from Val before he was bodily dragged up the steps of the boat.

* * *

><p>The dance was going over without a hitch. Valarie and Danny had gotten on the boat without a problem and both set about to mulling with random strangers while dancing a little to keep an eye out for potential threats. Starfire was a fuming mess. Although Danny managed to calm her down when he decided to teach her the waltz.<p>

And through it all Robin and Kitten sat at the tables. The boy wonder rocking back and forth in his chair contemplating why life hated him, and Kitten merely staring at him with big dopy eyes, and that twisted smile of hers. Danny realized if she wouldn't smile like that, she would have been very beautiful. Even if she did wear to much pink. Finally growing impatient, Kitten stood up and glared down at him.

"Ask me to dance."

Robin paused mid rock and glared, "I don't dance." _With you_, he mentally added.

Kitten growled and pulled at his arms with all her strength. He didn't budge. "C'mon, Robbie-pooh, you've never ever danced before."

Yes, he had actually. Alfred had tried to teach him, and after enlisting Batman's help, Robin had been forced through the steps of the tango. Bruce wound up nearly bursting into tears he'd been laughing so hard, and Alfred swore he would never again attempt such an atrocity. Kitten was still glaring down at him, and he realized he hadn't spoken yet.

"Tried it once, didn't like it."

"Fine," Kitten leaned and flipped open her very unsurprisingly pink cell phone, "Then I can have the whole city destroyed," She smirked and with a look of absolute glee leaned in dangerously close to the boy wonder and batted her eye-lashes. "Or, we could just skip straight to the kissing."

Was that bile in the back of his throat, or just Kitten's perfume?

"Wanna dance?"

Kitten screamed in delight and dragged him onto the dance floor, wrapping around him like a boa constrictor as an ill timed slow song came on.

"Oh Robin, of course I'd love to dance with you!" She screamed, god could she be anymore pig headed. The Titan's leader thought as they twirled around the deck, knocking other dancers off the floor. Only Danny and Valarie were left because the two were capable of stepping in and out of the rhythm to avoid Kitten and her escapades. Over by the punch bowl, Starfire froze watching Robin swaying in time with the music, his arms wrapped around Kitten's waist. An unfortunate couple walked up and asked for some punch, and they screamed in fear when Starfire turned her eyes on them, looking positively demonic. The song ended, and Robin pulled away.

"Okay, that's over," he said twisting out of her grip another country song came on.

"Oh goodie, another slow one!" Kitten pulled him back, and Robin felt like hitting his head up against the wall.

"Yeah."

Kitten's eyes became dreamy and her hands moved up, twisting behind his neck and tangling into his black hair.

"From now on, Robbie-pooh, this will always be our song."

She rested her head on his shoulder, and Robin full out shuddered, whipping out the communicator he called Cyborg. He didn't care how pleading his voice was going to sound.

"_Please_, tell me you guys have found Killer Moth," he whispered.

"Not yet," Cy answered while the other Titans looked around the plain house, "we tracked down your girlfriend's home address though."

Robin nearly jumped through the communicator, and his glare was purely The Bat glare, "She's not my Girlfriend."

His voice was so scary Beastboy jumped and knocked over a Chinese war horse statue to reveal a hidden stair well.

"Ah!"

Danny walked forward and raised an eyebrow, "You know, I'm really tempted to do a Scooby-Doo quote right now."

"Dude, I am not changing into Scooby," Beastboy answered as they descended the steps into the basement.

The room was pitch black. Even Danny's unearthly glow didn't provide any real help, all of them walked forward until Beastboy ran into the string. He screamed momentarily before he pulled on it. The lights flicked on, and the team was surrounded by thousands of metal eating moths in tanks. All four of them clicked on their communicators.

_"Found him."_

"Yes, you found me," a voice from above stated as the lights began to flicker, "but you'll soon begin to wish you hadn't."

The giant shadow of Killer Moth stretched across the floor, and they looked up to see the man clinging to the light before he attacked.

* * *

><p>Robin couldn't stop grinning when he pulled away from Kitten. The girl had on a self satisfied smile and leaned in closer.<p>

"Kiss me."

"Sorry, I don't think so. I don't like you that way. Matter of fact, I just don't like you," he stated with a cheer. That was the best news he'd delivered all night.

"What?!" Kitten screamed so loud that even the DJ heard her.

Robin pocketed his communicator and started to walk off.

"Killer Moth is being taken down as we speak, we're done here."

All of the team members felt immensely happy, till Kitten ripped off her flower to reveal the trigger device.

"No we are not. Daddy's not calling the shots here tonight, Robbie-pooh, I am."

"Daddy?" Robin's brain had mentally train wrecked right then and there.

"And unless you want me to let those nasty bugs out for a midnight snack," she yelled yanking him forward, "You better pucker up!"

Starfire gasped, and Valarie and Danny took defensive positions. The halfa cursed silently that he couldn't go ghost. Not with Val watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn't get hurt, because Danny Fenton wasn't a fighter. Why had he wanted that again? Star was frozen as she watched Kitten's mouth get closer to Robin's. Finally fed up, the Titan placed his finger over her lips. He wondered how the hell Bruce did this.

"Not even if you paid me," he answered reaching for the trigger. A struggle broke out between them and Val moved forwar, kicking off her heels as she went. Robin had Kitten in the oh so infamous tango pose when the girl broke out in a huge grin.

"Ah, Fang!"

The Titans and Valarie balked.

"That's your boyfriend?" Robin asked with wide eyes. Kitten snatched the trigger away from him while the jewel thief with a spider for a head crashed everyone's Junior prom.

"Get your hands off my girl," he demanded knocking the boy wonder aside with one giant furry leg. Val ran to help him up as Starfire blasted Fang with a star-bolt.

"Get your legs off my boy. Robin, are you injured?" She asked while Robin stood up and took off his jacket and loosened the top two buttons on his shirt showing the black and red uniform underneath. Valarie stood as well, pulling out a small switch blade and ran it up the left seam of her dress freeing her leg movements. Robin smirked.

"Best I've felt all night."

The group watched Kitten run up to Fang with a joyful smile.

"Fangie-pooh, you really do care!" She screamed looking into the teen's red spider eyes.

"Let's never fight again, baby," he replied holding out all of the stolen trinkets. Danny walked over to Starfire and crossed his arms.

"Guess we know why he stole all the jewels."

All four teens winced watching the two of them kiss.

"You know, you two make a really bad couple," Robin commented. Fang broke away and stood to his full height on those four spider legs, he charged.

Cyborg hit the glass of the tank and dodged a swipe by Killer Moth waiting for the opportune moment. It came when Danny moved behind the man and whispered in his ear.

"Boo."

Killer Moth spun around to see nothing but air, and Cy punched him straight into the gorilla's chest. He held him in place while Raven bound the moth man.

"You no good…unhand me this instant!"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Oh, upset that us meddling kids ruined your big evil plan?" he asked floating in the air. Beastboy gave a realistic Scooby noise and both teens smirked evilly. Cyborg, deciding he and Raven would be the bad cops in this interrogation, stepped forward.

"Okay now start talking…"

Valarie and Robin were dodging the gross spider webs being shot out of Fang's mouth while dodging the well aimed venom blasts. Danny silently seething where he remained at the edge of the dance floor. He looked over when he heard Kitten swoon.

"Oh, isn't it romantic. The boys are fighting over me."

Starfire who was pulling a piece of web off her face turned livid.

"They are not fighting over you!"

She dove at Kitten and completely forgot about her alien strength. This was an all out cat fight and there was no way in hell Danny was going to intervene. Because when girls truly let go and fought, they were scary. Robin and Valarie were fighting Fang up on the lights which were streamed all around the ship when he saw the line holding Valarie snap. Robin was too far away to catch her. And before Danny could regret it, he ran forward and jumped catching Val in midair to distribute some of their weight as they landed on a table. Momentarily dazed, Valarie laid there till she realized who saved her.

"Danny, how…"

Danny took off his jacket and loosened his tie, looking apologetic.

"Sorry Val, a lot has changed since last year."

With this he stood up and heard Kitten give an outraged cry. Both he and Val looked over to both girls covered in food and punch. Their dresses ruined.

"You ruined my dress!"

Kitten pressed the button.

"Start talking, how do you control the…"

The tanks lights flashed red, and the team groaned.

"…Moths."

"Crap."

"Seal the exits!" Raven ordered, and all jumped into action leaving them completely sealed in with the bugs, all of them stood back to back.

"Raven, put a shield around you guys and Killer Moth for a second," the copy ordered.

She did as instructed and watched the bugs start to swarm around the copy Danny as he floated into a ball. Green energy swirling all around him till he looked like a mini bomb. The energy released and destroyed the surrounding insects and some of the cages giving Cyborg and Raven easier targets. The clone rejoined them in the shield.

"I can only expend that much power two more times before I return to…well, me."

"Don't worry, we'll make it count," Cyborg started blasting from within the shield.

* * *

><p>Danny swung into the fight surprising the spider boy as the teen grew closer, ignoring the giant furry legs completely and instead focusing on Fang's unprotected stomach. The teen's movements were aggressive, and Fang felt all of his focus being drawn to this random punk. It was exactly what Danny wanted. For a moment later Robin was using him as a spring board and launching off his back, a fist aimed directly at Fang's face.<p>

The spider teen was knocked out cold. Both teens smirked and looked over to Starfire and Kitten, who was angrily stalking up to the Tameranian. Valarie having enough of this Paulina wannabe walked up behind her, smiled at Starfire who nodded, and Val knocked the trigger out of Kittens hands, sending the girl in shock as it rolled up to Robin's foot. He stomped on it, and Kitten let out a scream of outrage.

"Consider yourself dumped."

Valarie punched the blonde in the face, satisfied knowing that it was going to bruise.

Half of the swarm already lay at the team's feet, and Beastboy was about to suggest if they could speed it up when the mutated bugs hit the floor like flies, all dead.

Killer Moth let out a frustrated cry, and the team decided they'd figure it out later.

Once everyone was reunited at the docks the team watched Fang being loaded into to truck sharing a defeated sigh with Killer Moth while Kitten screamed at Robin that she would get her revenge because no one broke up with her. Everyone ignored that while the police doors slammed shut. Danny turned to Valarie and smiled.

"Think we should head back?"

Val nodded and looked to the six Titans and waved.

"See you guys later, oh and sorry about your dress, Star," Val said motioning to the punch red stain that was splashed across her torso. Copy Danny raised a questioning eye to the real Danny, but he shook his head. Starfire shrugged.

"It matters not. I am just glad Kitten got covered in the chocolate German cake instead."

Everyone broke out laughing while Danny and Valarie headed down the stairs. Other teens were starting to poke their heads out from where they had been hiding, and regardless of the carnage once again resumed dancing. The DJ cut in suddenly as the flood lights swirled around the entire dance floor.

"And the king and queen of this year's prom…Robin and Starfire!" Both teens jumped and blushed in shock while everyone on the ship broke into applause but after a moment Robin turned to Star and gave a shrug.

"I guess one more dance wouldn't kill me," he muttered holding out his hand for her.

Both of them looked terrible, Star's dress a stained mess, and Robin had ditched the jacket and tie all together. The sleeves of his pressed white tux shirt rolled up to his elbows, but as sappy as it sounded, even in the boy wonder's own mind, he thought Starfire looked perfect.

* * *

><p>Valarie had bid him good night as Danny walked her up the stairs. She'd told the taxi cab driver to go too. Val gave him a wry grin.<p>

"Who knew Danny Fenton, a perceived wimp could turn into such a fighter."

"Well, I had thought about dating a ninth degree black belt once. I kind of needed to learn."

The atmosphere changed, and Val's hazel gold eyes desperately sought his.

"Danny."

Danny took a step back and looked away heading down the steps. He paused and turned to look at her still standing on the steps, her eyes wide trying to comprehend how he suddenly got so far away.

"Thanks for the dance."

Valarie said nothing and silently went inside while he turned down an alley way and teleported back to the Tower where all of the Titans were relaxing in the living room. Starfire and Robin already back in uniform. Beastboy cuddling something in his arms.

"Um…what's that?" he asked as his copy disappeared into him, then the memories caught up with him.

"Oh…" the one lucky little larva that had escaped being neuroily altered and turned into a metal moth thus escaping the mass failsafe switch in all the bugs brains.

"I'm thinking of calling him Silky," the changeling smiled as he and Star played with the pink stripped worm the size of a small toy poodle. Raven looked absolutely murderous but kindly didn't voice her opinion. Danny walked over to Robin who handed him a soda. He thanked him and popped the cap.

"So, I gotta ask, how long were you two together?"

Danny managed to play off his shock by remembering that yes, this was Robin and yes, being nosy was in his job description.

"We never actually got together. She was too focused on being the Red Huntress and well, I think you can guess how that would end up."

Robin understood, but he still had to know, "Do you still like her?"

Danny shook his head and took a sip of the Dr. Pepper letting it burn his throat as images of Sam flashed before his eyes.

"No, I fell for someone else. I will always like Valarie as a friend though. She's a great fighter and believe it or not she has a very strong sense of justice. Misguided or not."

Robin thought about it. Pondering everything, and then he smirked.

"She turned you down cold, didn't she?"

Danny spat out his drink and sputtered indignantly before an emergency communication rang throughout the Tower. Fixit appeared on screen and the entire team was on alert.

"Danny, the ghosts."

It was all he needed to say.

"Everyone grab hold," Danny ordered transforming into Phantom. No one questioned him, and in the next instant they were in the lab, Fixit by the computer screen.

"What's going on?" Danny demanded. Fixit's fingers were flying across the keys.

"Five minutes ago ghosts emerged and started attacking in the cities of Star, Metropolis, Gotham and Jump. I do not know how, no portals opened up today."

Accessing the satellite images, they watched as the computer zoomed in on the ghosts and began cross referencing the images and pulling up some of Danny's known enemies. Robin stepped forward taking charge.

"We'll need to split up and take them down. Danny, how do we contain them?" Immediately, Danny walked over to a wall and typed in several codes, and turned a knob on the safe before opening the weapons vault. He pulled out six Fenton Thermos's and each Titan took one.

"To activate, give the lid a right half turn to open it and press the green button. To collapse the design press the blue button," he explained as the team did so and each thermos collapsed into small squares making them easily concealed. "But once the Thermos has a ghost it won't do that so make sure it counts. Here Beastboy, Robin, these are ecto-wrist rays, this flips the safety off, pull back to load a charge and squeeze the trigger, but be careful, it packs a punch. Cyborg, plug this into your system, it'll allow you to convert your sonic canon into ecto-energy when you so choose. And Raven and Starfire, your powers are your weapons. Trust me on this," Danny said looking to each of his teammates. Robin turned back to the screen.

"Alright, Cyborg, Starfire, you have Metropolis. Raven and Beastboy, Star City. Danny, you'll stay here in Jump, and I'm going to Gotham."

Fixit turned to the teens and held out small ear communicators, one for each of them.

"The feed is secure, and I will be monitoring everything from here."

They took theirs, and Robin took his before turning back to everyone, "Titans, move!"

The team headed for the stairs all except for Danny and Robin.

"I'll teleport you to Gotham."

"Thanks, but first, I'll need an extra weapon. One preferably more my style."

"I have some Escrima sticks."

"Those will work."

* * *

><p>The Justice League couldn't believe what was happening in the cities, their cities no less. Superman had dealt with much in his time, but this was unacceptable. Very rarely did he meet opponents that had multiple powers and be able to stand up against him. But the worst part was that the attack came out of nowhere. With no provocation.<p>

"Where is that punk Danny Phantom! I wish to hunt something more worthy of my time!"

Superman felt irked by this, he had been in the middle of a date with Lois when these three ghosts showed up, and he didn't qualify as a worthy adversary? And that was the problem wasn't it, they were ghosts and not even the Man of Steel knew how to contain them. He could fight them, and up until now, he managed to keep the civilians and any property from being damaged but this wouldn't last. Green energy hit the girl in the back of her chest, and she screamed in pain. The hero looked off over to the skyscraper and saw Starfire and Cyborg whose canon was still smoking.

"Sorry, Skulker, not tonight."

The three ghosts turned to their new opponents, and Superman picked up on the voice filtering in through their comms.

"Names: Skulker the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter known weakness his bio suit a small joint below the chin will release if struck properly freeing the true ghost inside. Ember the guitarist, powers are derived from her power cords which release sound waves and spells and people repeating her name. Separate her and destroy the guitar or sing really badly to dispel the charm. And Young Blood only perceived by teens under eighteen but only when his powers are at maximum. Weaknesses his temperament."

Superman turned back to the fight hovering closer to the three ghosts when Ember let out a roar.

"We're going to make him pay, and you Humans will suffer!"

The ghost teen strummed her strings and sent wave after wave of power towards the Titans. All three of them jumped into battle, but not before Superman sent out the call for the other members of the League. This was not a coincidence, and if he didn't know better, this would be the resounding shot that might start a war.

* * *

><p>Ollie and Speedy were firing off round after round of arrows at the ghost officers as they continued to rampage through the city. The leader a pale faced jailer laughing venomously.<p>

"If it wasn't against the rules I would do this forever, but I'm afraid we have a schedule to keep. Guards, continue to locate Phantom, we're ending this."

"Is it just me or do they not care that were even here?" Speedy commented blasting an unsuspecting ghost in the back of the head blowing him to bits till he reformed.

Green Arrow let out a grunt of frustration.

"Guess not. We need to figure out how to take them down."

"An exorcism?"

"Not funny."

Black magic surged around the street and grabbed the guards, wrapping around them like vines. The ghosts gave a scream when they realized they couldn't phrase out. Beastboy landed nimbly on the two heroes' rooftop and took aim as Fixit's voice came through.

"Name: Walker, the ghost jailer. Obsessed with the rules, destroy his rule book to take him out, the ghosts under his leadership will falter and become disjointed, take down separately."

The changeling opened fire while Raven prepared her Thermos.

* * *

><p>Danny teleported Robin to the top of Wayne Tower before he disappeared back to Jump City. It only took mere moments of scanning the dark city for the boy wonder find what he was looking for. Flying over the roof tops with the ease of familiarity, the teen came to a halt on the massive catholic church as a ghost with the head of a ram and dark as the midnight sky floated by. Green ghosts fanning around him, their eyes and mouths sown shut. The figure in front of him gave no indication of having heard him except for a slight shift in his stance. Robin passed his mentor the ecto-gun.<p>

"It won't kill," he reassured. Quietly, both men watched the sleepers enter the houses surrounding them. Robin wondering where the hell his mentors partner was but deciding now was not really the time to ask.

Batman gave a nod, while Robin gave him the frequency to his hard line before Bruce decided to hack it. With quick taps on his cowl, Batman heard Fixit's voice begin to filter in.

"I'm going to need a clearer shot of the ghost before I can ascertain his profile."

Without even thinking Robin and Batman easily fell into sync. Stalking the ghost like the nightmares they were.

"Name: Nocturne, the ghost of dreams. His agents the Sleepwalkers force humans into a coma like state only awakened if the dream in the host's body is completed or they are surprised. Don't focus on them, take down Nocturne, his weaknesses are ice and controlled explosions of ecto energy. The Sleepwalkers will dissipate once he's taken down."

Both set to work.

* * *

><p>Danny never really said this to anyone, mainly because the problem was so rare, but he really hated dragons. They were big, scaly, fire breathing reptiles that smelt of burnt charcoal and did he forget to mention that they tended to eat people. Or at least Aragon did, Dora was fine. The Dragon king took another swipe at him and to counter, the halfa grabbed his spiked tail and threw him into the park outlining the city. The glimmer of the Tower outlined by the water.<p>

Aragon stood up and roared exposing his blood red jewel. Danny collected a blast and shattered the gem. The Dragon let out a piercing yell as he transformed back into the banished king. It would take some time before Aragon could regenerate the gem, and Danny planned on using that time wisely.

Touching down, Danny grabbed the King by his robe and yanked him forward, glaring him down.

"Now talk, how did you get to the Real World?"

A reptilian smile crept across Aragon's face, and he hissed out a laugh, "We've been here for quite some time. Finally decided to come out and play."

A dagger slipped out from the Kings sleeve, and Danny dodged the blade nicking his side. The halfa gave a hiss but flipped and drop kicked Aragon back into the ground creating a small crater.

"That hurt. Now tell me again how did you get here? And for what purpose?"

Danny watched the blue man roll over and groan before he laughed.

"Why isn't it obvious, to destroy you of course. Although this way is so much more fun."

"What way?"

Red silted eyes met glowing green, and Aragon's darkened to pure glee.

"Why, making the humans hate you of course."

Realization punched low in Danny's gut, and he didn't waste his time capturing the King. Pressing his hand to the comm., he floated up into the air.

"Fixit, patch me through to everyone."

"Done."

"Guys, are you alright?"

"We're good man, Star's capturing the kid."

"As are we, Beastboy, stop messing around by frightening the bad ghost cops and finish up."

"I'm fine as well, just finishing up in Gotham, we'll meet back at the Tower and…"

"Ahh!"

"_Danny!"_

The Titans all screamed when they heard their friend cry out in pain with the sound of rocks being crushed underneath him. Danny shook his head and looked up to see the Red Huntress hovering above him, her bazooka pointing at his heart.

"Red."

"Phantom," she growled and fired again. Danny leapt out of the way and twisted in the air before punching her in the chest, sending the girl into an abandoned building.

"Why are you doing this, Val?"

"Don't call me that!"

The girl threw plasma bombs at him. Momentarily blinding Danny, he felt something heavy latch onto his wrist and drag him down. Valarie appeared inches from him, and suddenly he couldn't move.

"I'm going to destroy you."

Panic raced through him, and Danny lashed out managing a solid kick to her legs. Val screamed and fell off her board sending both of them plummeting to the earth. Why couldn't he fly? The ground hit hard, and Danny felt like he'd stepped on his foot wrong as waves of sharp pain shot up his body. He cried out softly and heard the tell tale snap of a bone breaking. Only it wasn't one of his bones. Valarie screamed, and Danny looked over to see her clutching her leg.

"Valarie!"

As the girl in the red suit hissed, he ran forward preparing to help her when she lashed out and bound something else to his other arm. It was then Danny realized what had happened. He looked down in horror and watched as the two cuffs around his arms expanded and connected together. Binding him from hand to elbow, imprisoning him.

"Val, what have you done?"

"Trapping you, the ghosts were a diversion. You were the main target and now, we can take you in," she smirked before wincing in pain.

All Danny saw was red, and in the next instant he had one foot on her chest and the other on her broken leg. Valarie let out a blood curdling scream and thrashed in pain. Trying in vain to push him away. Danny leaned down closer, taking some of the weight off her leg, but barely. Right in this moment he wanted nothing more than to make her suffer.

"You set this up, all of it for me? Just so you could capture me?"

His rage was steadily growing and Valarie couldn't even look away from those fierce glowing green eyes. Never before had this hatred been directed at her. Annoyance yes, but hate? Never. And Valarie finally felt true panic begin to set in. How long had she underestimated him?

"You've been the one capturing the ghosts as they come through the portals, you've been the one keeping them contained and now, because of your misguided vendetta you set them loose? Do you realize how many people could have died? How many heroes we could have lost if not for the Teen Titans? Do you?!"

He pressed his foot harder on her chest, and Val gave a strangled scream as her ribs began to crack, tears filling her eyes.

"Stop, please!" Both from pain and the words he was using as knives.

Her plea snapped Danny out of his rage, and it felt worse than drowning. He let her go, stumbling backwards in the crater while Valarie curled in on herself, sobbing quietly. Had he really just done that? Reduced one of the strongest people he knew to a crying mess, Danny felt ill.

"Valarie."

He took a step forward and watched as the girl flinched back in the hole from fear. Her helmet cracked, allowing the long dark strands of hair to fall around her face.

Flood lights surrounded them then and through the glare, the whirl of helicopters reached his ears. He could barely make out the side of the coppers. Many of them belonged to the news, and the halfa could practically feel the shock and horror coming off those people. A mega phone clicked on and an eerily familiar voice cut through the white washed noise.

"Danny Phantom, you are under arrest by the United States of America."

_The Guys in White_. Danny felt his senses go into lock down mode when he realized that this is what Valarie had been talking about, she hadn't been working alone. She'd been working with them. The fact that she would willingly go to them…Danny felt it cut him deeper than anything else and looking back down to the girl, he knew he should hate her for it.

Now all he felt was emptiness, at everything, what he'd done to her, what she'd done to him. It was a circle, and the halfa wasn't sure which of them started this string of painful events. All he knew now was that his friend was on the ground, it was his fault, and the men who put her there for the sake of freedom were going to _pay_.

Danny stepped out of the crater and numbly walked for about three hundred feet. The sirens, cars, helicopters, any and everything the teen could think of was following him. Until in the barren field of the park, filled with the government's men. He became surrounded, but it only fueled his rage.

The cuffs sat: glowing, malicious and ugly. They bound Danny's arms together in front of his chest from wrist to elbow. Similar to that of a slave being herded towards imprisonment. Their weight made him slump forward, and he bowed his head waiting. Not wanting to see those around him while the Guys in White walked forward with their guns pointed at him. It didn't last though.

Arrogantly, Danny raised two glowing green eyes defiantly. The sirens blaring around them, flood lights hiding the pitch black sky, the flames and flickering lights of the city nothing more than dots. The helicopters drowned out the noise, the reporters and crew men from all the broadcasters in the Jump City looking down as the government boxed Danny in like a wild beast.

"Do not move, Ghost," Agent K ordered. Danny smirked, masking his growing hatred.

"And here I thought you believed me incapacitated. I'm honored you think so highly of me," he spoke as venom slipped in every word.

The man fired a warning shot, scorching the ground at the teen's feet. Danny didn't so much as flinch. Instead he sneered and flexed his arms preparing to use them and bludgeon the man enough to send him to the hospital.

"You're under arrest."

A snarl built in the halfa's chest, and five blurs appeared around him. Robin's staff pointed at the agent's heart. His cape concealing Danny. Instantly evaporating any and all of the halfa's anger.

"He's not going anywhere," Robin answered back. His hands tensing on the staff.

"What are you doing?" Danny whispered vehemently. Robin's back tensed, but he didn't budge.

"Teen Titans, you have no authority over this, leave immediately, or we will be forced to apprehend you," a man informed over the blaring megaphone.

"Go ahead and try," Raven responded. Her magic crackled around her. Cyborg's canon hummed, Starfire's star bolts surged around her, and Beastboy growled low and gutturally in his chest, ecto-weapon raised, the safety switched off.

"I think you should let me talk to whoever's in charge. Danny Phantom stays with us," Robin snarled, and Agent K took a step back at the lethal tone in the Titan's voice.

"That will be unnecessary," a voice commanded, and the already cramped space became stifling as seven more landed in the clearing. The air felt vacuum thin, and the GiW looked shaken. The guy with the megaphone was rambling into his earpiece before he looked directly to the new group and spoke.

"This is our jurisdiction. The League has no business…"

"Actually, we do," Superman interrupted. The hero took a step forward and looked the man dead in the eyes. "Until we've conducted a thorough investigation, Danny Phantom is no longer your problem."

The man swore colorfully, his earpiece erupting, and Danny bristled along with the Titans. Robin took a step forward to the red caped superhero when another caught his eye, a silent conversation passing between them. Danny looked over to the superhero in shock. How could the man be in the shadows when they were surrounded by flood lights? Robin backed off and waited.

"Be on guard," he whispered to the team, and they circled closer. Danny could feel everyone's breath, the brush of Raven's cloak, the smell of Starfire's shampoo, the pounding of BB's heart, and the power in Cyborg's canon. Robin was still standing in front of him, shielding Danny from view even if the cameras high above could still see him. God, he hated the media so much right now. The agent clicked on the megaphone.

"Very well, Superman, but know this isn't over. All personnel retreat."

As quickly as they came, they left, and Danny felt nothing but boiling rage and worry for his friends. He wasn't sure if these people would be better off. Superman turned and looked to Robin. He smiled trying to offset the tension. It didn't help. And no one missed the way Danny coiled, and even he could feel Robin's thundering scowl.

"What are you doing here? Danny is a member of the Teen Titans. You have no right to take him away like some common criminal while knowing who the real criminals are," he spat, his words were interlaced with hidden threats, and the Kryptonian could picture the teen in front of him wearing a black cowl. Batman had trained him well. Wonder Woman stepped forward, and Starfire's hands followed her movement.

"Understand chi – Titan, we are not treating Phantom as such. But until we know who and what he is, and if he poses a threat, we must take precautions. And as of right now, we are the only ones protecting him from the dissection table." she warned.

Danny felt ice crawl up is spine and jumped when Beastboy actually did snarl.

"That will _never_ happen," he glared at them.

The halfa's heart trembled at the loyalty in his friend's voice making what he was about to say that much harder.

"Guys…let me go."

The Teen Titans whirled around so fast that Danny thought all of them got whiplash, and they seemed to forget the League was even there anymore.

"Are you crazy?" Cyborg yelled.

"We are not letting you go, Friend."

"Danny, this is not wise."

"You're innocent!" BB yelled waving the gun around causing everyone to flinch a little. Robin was silent though, and when he met Danny's eyes, a look of understanding passed between them. He steeled himself and turned back to Superman before he stepped aside to let the halfa pass. Danny walked forward, and the rest of his friends went slack jawed and stared.

Superman couldn't help but notice how much different the teen was up close. His aura seemed to lack luster from the gauntlets, dark circles were shadowing his eyes, and a sliver of dark green blood encrusted his side. The man tried to reconcile this teen to the information they'd been receiving about him. Danny looked up to him and glared before going to stand beside him. The other members of the League circled around them, all except one. Superman figured he was going to stay anyway.

"Green Lantern, take us to the station."

The man nodded and raised his ring.

"Wait," Robin stepped forward and never took his eyes off Danny. "I swear to you, you will come back."

Silence. Then, for the first time, a look of relief passed over the teen, and Danny wearily smiled a lop-sided grin.

"Sure, I still haven't kicked your butt at Doom yet."

Wonder Woman , Green Arrow, Aquaman, Flash, and the Green Lantern all stared, before Superman gave the signal, and a green shield engulfed them and took to the sky heading for the station in outer space.

Robin waited till the green light disappeared, hating how it looked too solid. Nothing like the liquid hue and ethereal glow of Danny's powers. He whirled around, heading for the Tower.

"Titans, we have work to do."

"And what exactly do you plan to do?" Batman asked studying his apprentice carefully. Robin didn't miss a beat.

"Anything I can."

Raven engulfed them all in her black magic and disappeared. Leaving the Dark Knight to ponder everything: all the facts, all the rumors, all the truths and lies. Turning, he disappeared into the night. It seemed he had work to do as well.

Walking back into the shadows, the man passed the empty crater containing the remnants of a broken red helmet.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	29. Chapter 22: Something's Changing

_Ready the bullets..._

"_Taking aim at a dead guy."_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 22: Something's Changing

_In almost nervous excitement, I begin our tale. It is one never to be taken lightly as the events about to unfold will undoubtedly change the lives of you—my dear readers— forever. This is to say that you should not continue. Oh no! What kind of writer would I be if I simply told you to turn away? No, consider me merely the reaper guarding the gates of passage between lives. I am only recounting the events, nothing more, nothing less, and if you choose to proceed past this introduction, be my guest._

"Oh, that's good," Ghost Writer mumbled to himself while rereading the words on the electronic screen swirling around him, along with the images of Danny and his new friends. Hitting the enter button, the writer prepared for the next paragraph when his library doors opened, and Clockwork floated up to him, staff in hand. The writer gave a yelp of surprise having been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Clockwork, I was just…"

The Ghost of Time merely held up his hand to the ghost who fell silent immediately. He watched as Clockwork bent over his screen and gave a quiet hum before turning away, leaving behind a very baffled Ghost Writer.

"Um…"

The Master of Time chuckled and paused by the doors.

"Please, do not stop on my part, but do not alter the events in any shape or form," he warned. With this he disappeared, and the Ghost Writer breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back down at his console. He began to type.

_Now, onward with the tale. Our story begins on a small blue planet called Earth__. T__here was a young alien girl who lived in a T. She had many friends__. S__he was very powerful and very brave, and although she never thought much of it: she was also very beautiful. Her life seemed entirely perfect till one day a giant red bump grew atop her forehead. _

_The girl was not sure what brought this on__. C__ould it be she was getting sick? Or perhaps skittermites crawled into her epidermis, or maybe it was the stress? For you see__,__ one of her closest friends had been taken away by the greatest collection of all superheroes and left the Titans to find a way to bring him back. But for now__,__ scared and afraid Starfire had locked herself in the public bathroom right across from Beastboy's room and stared into the mirror._

"Oh, why is this happening now all of the sudden?" Starfire groaned, gingerly prodding at the bump about the size of a half-dollar. Vainly she tried to poke it back in her skin and was rewarded with a small roll of pain whenever she tried. Great, just when she had enough problems to worry about. Star tried again and it felt like a marble was rolling underneath her skin. Someone suddenly knocked incessantly on the door, and Star could hear Beastboy dancing around outside it.

"Starfire, hurry up, you've been in there for almost twenty minutes, and I'm not paper trained!" He whined extremely loud.

"One moment more please," She called.

Beastboy sighed and crossed his ankles, "a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o…p!" he screamed running behind to a large plant down the hall. Starfire took that time to race back to her room and grab herself a large green hat before going to search for Raven.

* * *

><p>They had taken him to some sort of holding facility inside the Watch Tower and left him there. That was so many hours ago Danny lost count. Trying not to sigh, the halfa looked around the room from where he sat in his chair at the table, to the empty seat and the mirror across from him. A one way pane of glass so the League could see him, but not the other way around. Typical. Well, at least it was better than a cage. Danny shifted around and continued to stare at his reflection, while the League looked at him. Superman never taking his gaze away from the teen.<p>

"I still cannot believe he is dead," Diana whispered walking up beside him. Clark gave a solemn nod.

"Believe it. I can't hear a heartbeat. Did you get anything from him, J'onn?" he asked as the Martian Man-hunter came up beside him. The others not too far off. The Martian having joined them once they arrived shook his head.

"I cannot. I'm afraid his mind is shielded from me," he informed. There was a stunned silence.

"Well, then I guess we do this the old fashioned way," Clark replied heading towards the door. Flash went wide eyed.

"Whoa, seriously? He's just a teen and shouldn't we wait for the Bats to show? This is more his area of expertise."

Clark looked appalled. "I'm only going to talk with him, Barry. Not interrogate him."

With this he headed towards the door as Barry leaned over to whisper in the Green Arrows ear, "Not sure the kid will see it that way."

Clark chose to ignore him and stepped inside. Watching as the teen straightened up and shifted his arms beneath the table, the weights still shackling him. Superman took a seat and smiled.

"Hey I'm Superman, or Kal-El, what's your name?"

The teen gave him a sharp look before answering.

"Phantom, or Danny, or Danny Phantom whatever you want to call me really."

Clark thought the kid might be trying to incinerate him with his eyes.

"C'mon, you have to go by another name. You can't be a superhero all the time."

The teen raised a skeptical eyebrow at Superman.

"And you can't seriously expect me to believe that your secret identity is Kal-El. How stupid do you take me for?"

Clark felt a stab in his heart and glared slightly, "My father named me that."

A spark of triumph lit Danny's eyes and he leaned forward.

"Father? Unless you were raised to be extremely formal, I highly doubt you call your Dad that. So, wanna trade secret identities? Even if it is a unprecedented, we've only just met," Phantom said before leaning back in his chair smugly. Superman suddenly felt like he was in an argument with Bruce.

"Excuse me," he said before leaving. The second Superman closed the door he was confronted with Barry rolling on the floor in laughter.

"It's not funny!" Superman defended, heat rising in his face.

Hal smirked, "Try telling that to the kid, you sure he's not one of Bats?"

"If he were, Bruce wouldn't have let the kid nearly be taken by that government organization. Have you found anything out about the GiW?" Superman asked. Hal shook his head.

"So far the president hasn't said anything, but that doesn't mean the program is sanctioned."

Diana crossed her arms and turned back to the teen, "So unless the child tells us what's going on, we have no leads and no way to protect him or the world from this new threat."

The joking atmosphere darkened in an instant.

* * *

><p>Robin jolted awake when someone knocked on his door.<p>

"Come in," he answered rubbing his masked eyes tiredly. Cyborg walked in, looking just as haggard but slightly relieved.

"I finished."

Robin let some of his surprise show, and Cy chuckled.

"I didn't sleep."

"How long was I out?"

"An hour maybe."

Robin straightened up and turned back to the computer checking its progress, watching as little flying birds kept turning from red to green, almost done.

Cyborg took one look at the screen and raised an eyebrow, "Um…do I want to know who you're hacking."

"Probably not. Let me see it."

Cyborg handed Robin the small flat blue chip with five wires poking out.

"I've decided to call her L.I.S.A."

"LISA?"

Cy nodded, "It's an acronym for localized ionic sensory activator. It should balance out Danny's electrical charge. It'll make it harder from him to use lightning…"

"But it beats the alternative," Robin finished holding the small device up to the light.

"It's still a proto type. Not that it will matter. We can't get it to Danny."

Robin set it down and looked back to the screen.

"We'll get him back, one way or another."

A hand set down on the boy wonder's shoulder, and Robin looked up to meet Cyborg's grim expression.

"I know we will, but don't take it too far, Rob."

Both knew he was talking about more than his computer program currently hacking one of the F.B.I's and C.I.A's central databases.

* * *

><p><em>So<em> _you see, my dear __friends. T__hings are not looking too bright for the Teen Titans. But things will get stranger still as the young Tameranian girl slowly begins to unravel around the seams from the transformation undertaking her body. For within the day she grew tusks on her neck, her fingernails grew long and ugly, and she developed bizarre cravings for the most unusual of foods. And with each passing hour the little alien girl grew stranger and stranger and stranger still._

_Until confined to her room__,__ Starfire let herself see the extent at what she had become, and terror gripped her heart. For if the Justice League had taken away Danny for fear of what he was__. T__hen surely they would take her away as well._

"I am a monster," Star felt tears fill her eyes and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to see her friend who was locked away somewhere and ask if everything would be alright and if Robin would still look at her.

_But in all her plight the strange little alien girl did not move from her bed. And while the Teen Titans all continued to wait and search, another was scouring the city looking for clues_.

The kid hadn't said anything after he'd spoken with Superman apparently, and now Batman was really pissed at Alfred for guilt tripping him into giving out one way to reach him. Because now they wouldn't stop calling him. Stopping outside the Bookstore, Batman did a quick sweep of the area. He entered the building not even bothering with the empty store, heading towards the black door past the counter he descended the steps to the darkened apartment.

Flipping on his sonar, Batman scanned the area towards the living room door and the rooms not added on the floor plans. In less than a second he'd entered the room and stepped into the lab. His eyes scanned over everything. To the equipment, to the portal he figured connected to the other Zone Robin had mentioned. But how did all of the ghosts get here? Stepping to the closest computer, Batman clicked it on and plugged in a USB drive.

"I hope you are on the side of good," Fixit spoke, watching as the giant shadow didn't even flinch. It merely moved to stand.

"I take it you were the one running this data base," the shadow answered deeply, his voice having a rough edge around it.

Fixit nodded stepping forward, surprise crossing his face when he noticed his firewalls failing.

"I am. May I ask who you are?"

The shadow of the man stepped forward and the computer screen cast the symbol across his chest in vivid blue light.

"You're…" Fixit trailed off before his ears picked up the tell tale hum…

"The extra frequency given out earlier belonged to you."

"Indeed."

"Why are you here?"

"Searching."

"For?"

"The truth."

Both were caught in a standoff. Neither one willing to give more than the bare minimum, the drive still hacking Fixit's firewall. They were at an impasse, Fixit rationalized, the Batman was a member of the Justice League yet the only one who came forward willingly trying to find out all of the facts…even if he did break in and enter. The robot decided he needed to take a chance.

"It will take a couple of hours to download all of the files even without my firewalls."

Batman regarded him silently before taking out the drive and disappearing silently, but he paused by the doorway, "That won't be necessary." The shadows consumed him entirely.

* * *

><p>Cyborg watched as the firewalls fell prey to Rob's hacking program. Until the last red bird turned green and the crests of the agencies came up, and instantly Robin began tearing through the files, through financial records, benefactors, and case files so fast Cyborg wondered if the teen really didn't have superpowers. For a second, Robin stiffened before he looked over to Cy and gave a small apologetic smile, "Can you contact Fixit? He needs to know what's going on."<p>

Cy gave him a hard look but stood, "Just don't take it too far."

Robin gave a nod at the reminder and waited till the door closed before he sighed.

"You can come out now."

Batman emerged from the shadows.

"How long have you been there?"

"Not long, how far have you gotten on the files?"

"I've found some anomalies in the accounting records, along with large amounts of money being placed into operations that have been shut down for decades. Also there appears to be a ghost drive."

Batman quickly took over, his fingers flying across the keys already beginning to track the cash.

"Not government sanctioned."

"Of course not, but we already knew that," Robin answered until he caught his mentor's slight smirk, and the boy wonder instantly caught onto the plan. He grinned wickedly, and Cyborg wondered why he had a hard time when it came to bending the line.

The alarm went off an hour later right as the two were finishing up. Robin growled at the inconvenience.

"I need to go, are you heading up to the Watch Tower?"

Batman gave a nod, "I need to see Danny for myself."

Robin felt himself bristle defensively, but he could tell by the set of the Dark Knight's shoulders the man was leaning towards Danny's innocence. Plus it helped that Robin vouched for him. Not that Bruce would ever tell his young ward exactly how much influence he had in Batman's decisions. But so far five teens and one robot were siding with this ghost-human teen, and that was something Batman wouldn't take lightly. He watched Robin scowl slightly as the teen internally debated over something before he steeled himself and handed his mentor a small wire chip.

"Please give this to Danny for me. It goes on his wrist."

"What does it do?" Bruce asked scrutinizing the device.

"It will help him."

Batman remained stoic, although clearly unhappy with Robin's answer. But he pocketed the device in his utility belt and stood stiller than a statue as the boy turned and disappeared out the door.

The Titan flipped open his communicator.

"Report."

"Plasmas is attacking a football game. We're all here except Starfire."

"On it."

Robin jogged to Star's room and knocked.

"Star, we gotta go."

From behind the metal he heard her shaky voice, "Please proceed, I will join you shortly."

Robin didn't have time to wait. He ran to the stairs, shot out his grappling hook and dropped quicker than a stone to the bottom of the Tower.

* * *

><p>Batman waited on the roof till he was sure the Titans were gone before the sleek black jet descended, and he headed back to the mansion. He hadn't even gotten out of it before he was confronted with his fiery partner. For not being in uniform, Jason sure pulled off the bat glare. Alfred dutifully standing beside him.<p>

"I take it Master Dick is well?"

"He's fine, Alfred."

Jason jumped. "You went on patrol without me," he accused.

Bruce pulled off his cowl while they moved further into the cave.

"Then next time you should finish your homework faster."

The boy gave a soft growl, "The only reason it took me so long was because Mr. Matho assigned me a hundred extra problems."

Bruce couldn't help but smirk, "Then maybe next time you shouldn't call him a spineless pansy. Even if he is one."

"Master Bruce," Alfred scolded clearly unhappy with this method of parenting while a smile crept up Jason's face.

"What?" Bruce said defending himself.

Alfred gave a suffering sigh while Batman turned to the massive computer calling the League, Superman coming on screen.

"Report."

"Other than the GiW sending us his charges through one of our lower communication channels, nothing yet."

"Which one?"

"Beta zero-seven-two, why?"

Batman was silent for a moment before he turned back to look at Clark. "Prepare the zeta beams we'll be there momentarily," he answered before cutting out. Bruce turned to Jason whose mouth was hanging open in shock.

"Suit up. We're going to the Watch Tower in three minutes."

Getting over his shock, Jason let out a whoop and ran off, leaving Alfred with Bruce who raised an eyebrow.

"May I ask sir, that you two would please try and be home at a reasonable hour. He does have school tomorrow."

Batman pulled up his cowl and gave a small nod as Robin bounded up.

And while the two heroes headed into space, the Titans raced towards the plasma monster ripping apart the football field in order to drink the sludge in the sewer pipes. All the students, who were still in the stands, shuddered and gave loud 'eww's' before taking refuge in the tunnels. Three exploding disks embedded themselves in the monster before blowing up.

"I don't know what's more disgusting, Plasmas. You, or the stuff you eat," Robin replied grinning from ear to ear. He was itching for a fight. The mud colored blob gave a roar before chunking bullet globs of plasma from his body at them. The team dodged springing into action.

The fight wasn't pleasant, and the only weapons that really worked were Robin's exploding disks. Everything else might as well have been child's toys. And Robin was pretty sure three of his ribs were bruised from being slammed into the field goal. Soon all of them were covered in his residue except Beastboy who somehow managed getting covered in orange Gatorade. They were swiftly running out of ideas till star-bolts rained down from the sky, and Plasmas was reduced to mud draining down into the torn up earth. Robin and the Titans turned around excitedly to Starfire and their jaws hit the floor. For Star was standing there in a big green hat, a yellow rain coat, complete with boots, oven mitts and a long red scarf.

"Starfire?" Robin asked needing clarification, but the girl merely trembled and took a step back in fear. _What happened to her?_ The boy wonder thought with panic rising in his chest. The football field was silent now. The civilians having long since fled, and the team could hear the sounds of the sirens in the distance when the ground gave a shake. Plasmas emerged from the earth, only now he had large acid green boils covering his head and ran down his arms, his teeth now serrated. He looked revolting.

Cyborg winced, "Ewwww…."

"Just when you thought he couldn't get any uglier," Raven commented.

"Dude, that is sick, and not in the good way," Beastboy hastily added. Robin clenched his fists. Yeah, he'd been itching for a fight, but not a long one.

"No matter how nasty he gets, he's just another monster. Titans, move!" Robin yelled glaring at the roaring thing preparing to attack. No one noticed the way Starfire cringed. And when Plasmas attacked, he shot the green goo from his eyes, and when the Titans dodged, Star didn't move quick enough and all of the garments used to shield her were torn away leaving her fully exposed. And everyone stopped fighting when they saw her form, even the monster.

"Starfire?" Robin breathed.

The girl looked up and everyone burst out in pearls of laughter.

—_Wait, do not turn away! For right now I'm sure you feel pure __revulsion__ at her friends' reactions__. B__ut you must understand, no one laughed at her. It was all in the girls __mind. F__or in her panicked state__,__ Starfire truly believed her friends would deem her a monster and now: with her scaly arms, furry feet and pointy ears added to the conglomeration of her deformities, they would hate her. But most of __all, __she could only feel rejection in her heart. And in her haste Starfire fled, leaving behind the small blue planet and one distraught boy wonder. And with this she soared into the darkness of space__. P__ast the space station where her friend was being held._

* * *

><p>Batman and Robin stepped off the plat form in the monitor womb and made their way through the hallways. Jason looking around the place in pure awe, and it was hard to keep up with his mentor and not lag behind or run off. Heroes were everywhere, and some would pause and regard them coolly all staring at him intently. Jason felt his muscles beginning to tense. Unconsciously sensing the challenge—feeling their dark eyes on him— but with a tilt of Batman's head all the stares stopped, and Robin couldn't stop his Cheshire grin.<p>

Because _no one_ messed with Batman. The two stepped into a conference room, and Robin held his breath. For there were some of the original members of the Justice League: Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Arrow and Aquaman. All the ones who knew Bruce's secret identity. And yeah, Jason felt small so he plastered on a brave smirk and pointed at them in shock.

"Holy Justice League, Batman, you do have friends!" he exclaimed imitating what his older brother did when he wanted to surprise people. Although Dick never did it to his allies. At the dumbstruck faces of the adults, Jason really did burst out laughing. Geez, adults were so fun to mess with.

"Robin," Batman growled, and he didn't need to say anymore because it translated to, _"Jason, shut up and don't tease the good guys."_ But judging from his mentors relaxed posture, Jason could tell Batman wasn't upset. If the satisfied smirk was anything to go by. Batman merely had to remind Robin in order to keep up his 'intimidating' appearance. Superman frowned slightly but stepped forward, a thick file in his hands.

"I don't believe Robin should be here for this."

Robin crossed his arms while Batman's eyes narrowed and a dark aura filled the room.

"He is needed. The files."

Superman handed over them over, and Batman quickly flipped through them clearly displeased. But he handed them back and went over to the glass motioning for Robin to follow. Clark was slowly turning green.

"Aren't you going to read them to Phantom?"

"No. You are."

The idea of that prospect didn't sit well with Superman. He just wasn't built for this kind of stuff.

"But…"

"Now."

Clark sighed at Bruce's antics. Putting it down to the fact that he didn't want Robin to see him interrogating a teen. The boy reached the glass, took one look at the teen and scowled.

"Why is he being held prisoner?"

"He's not," Flash answered rushing up to him as Superman headed towards the door.

"Doesn't look that way," Jason shot back.

"Well, you see he's…"

Batman cut Flash off before he could reply.

"Don't tell Robin anything."

Flash's mouth shut with a clank, and Robin looked up towards his mentor, the edge of his mask raised in curiosity.

"Observe him, access everything then give me a straight opinion on his guilt."

Jason momentarily wondered how he could give an unbiased opinion. But figured this was probably Bruce trying to hone his senses or something. Silently, the kid turned back to the window while all of the members looked on.

Superman stepped in and immediately had the teen's undivided attention. Those glowing green eyes watching intently as the Man of Steel took a seat and opened the file.

"We looked into your past."

"Shouldn't rely on articles."

But Superman noticed how the teen's back straightened. So he decided to give a little more.

"The GiW sent them stating that they are the reason you should be detained."

The teen's eyes shot up and fear flickered through them before Phantom frowned.

"So you only have one opinion."

"The government sent them."

"Because governments are so perfect," the teen spat. But the kid made no move to pull away, so Superman flipped open the file and began to read.

"Armed robbery, property destruction, multiple accounts of kidnapping, starting ghost wars, and six accounts of murder. The list is a lot longer, but I'm sure you get the gist of it."

When Superman looked up he expected to see anger and hear denial, but instead the teen had frozen in shock.

"What?"

"What do you mean?"

"Those murders, the GiW was there?" The dead teen began to tremble, his breaths turning ragged. Superman wondered why the kid even needed to breathe.

"Yes, a field report accounts that there was a hostage situation, and that you killed them by blowing up the Nasty Burger."

"They were there!" The teen's voice exploded all around him, and Clark flinched slightly at the echo, but the boy didn't notice.

"They were there, and they didn't try to help?! They died because of me! Sam could have been saved…my family…"

Superman's eyes widened, and the teen instantly stopped.

"Your family what? Danny, what about your family?"

The teen's eyes closed off, and he sat back perfectly calm once more. Snow white bangs concealing his eyes.

"Nothing."

Superman felt his chest tighten, _what had this teen been through?_

"Please, we're only trying to help."

"What's the catch?"

Again the Man of Steel was floored.

"What?"

Glowing green eyes met his fiercely, "I said, what is the catch? There is always an end game. Always a desired goal, and there are always consequences. So answer my question."

Superman was instantly grateful for his Kryptonian mind because if not, then he wouldn't have been able to speak past his shock, "We only want to know so that we can protect you and the world."

The teen seemed to contemplate this for a moment before he sat back in his chair and pointedly didn't look at him. Seeing it as a dismissal, Superman got up and headed towards the door.

Once Superman was outside, Danny placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on the cuffs before he cast a glare over to the corner of the room.

_What are you doing here?_

His glare seemed to ask. Still invisible, Vlad smiled viciously knowing that the child couldn't see him.

"Here to offer my condolences, dear boy. You do seem rather tied up."

Danny straightened, his eyes cast towards the door. But no one stepped through, Vlad chuckled.

"I've muted the microphones although there isn't much to do about the mirror now is there?"

The young halfa glared up to where he suspected red eyes to be, and Vlad would have shuddered if it wasn't so amusing.

"Come now, try to behave. Don't want them to add insane to your file?"

Danny's eyes sharpened, _what do you want?_

The teen seemed to say, so Vlad decided to get straight down to the point.

"I'm here to offer you a deal of full immunity. From your crimes, to what you are, and no one not the government or even the Justice League could touch you. And here's the bonus," Vlad whispered his voice sounding low and snakeish, "I'll even extend this deal to your Titan friends."

Danny's eyes flashed, and the temperature dropped ten degrees.

"You stay away from them, _fruitloop_."

The door slide open, and Batman stepped in while Vlad's presence disappeared from the room. Danny reigned in his temper and met the masked eyes of this new hero. The aura around the man seemed darker than even Vlad's, and it demanded respect. And for some reason his glare reminded Danny of Robin's.

Batman took a seat and didn't say a word, he just watched and okay, it was getting a little creepy. Danny didn't know it was because Bruce was cooling his own temper after the heated debate they under took when Superman rejoined them. Danny shifted nervously in his seat.

"Um…are you really the Batman?"

"Yes."

Oh…well, this was new. Danny suddenly wished for Superman back and yet, this man hadn't said anything. He hadn't pried into his slip up, hadn't accused him of anything…

"What do you want?"

"The ghosts, you know how to fight them." It was a statement, and Danny relaxed. This was different he was getting straight to the point.

"I do."

"Then you know how to stop them."

"Yes."

"Good," Batman stood up suddenly and walked around the table causing the halfa to scoot back in his chair and turn to face him, instantly wary. But the hero merely knelt down on the ground and pulled out a strange device.

"Give me your arms."

"Why?"

An actual growl issued from the man's mouth, and Danny instantly stuck out his arms, watching as the Bat began picking the electronic lock. It took less than five seconds and the heavy metal weights clattered to the floor, and Danny felt all of his powers rush through his system. He gave a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Batman stood, and the teen felt the need to as well. Curiosity getting the better of him, why did the man seem so…Danny couldn't find the right words to place this feeling.

The Dark Knight paused and pulled out a small wire chip and placed it in Danny's palm.

"What is it?"

"Robin said to give it to you. It would help."

Bruce watched closely as relief and hope brightened the teen's eyes before he looked down at the device and studied it.

"It goes on your wrist."

The teen didn't even hesitate which slightly troubled Bruce, but then he pushed it aside, it wasn't his place to pry.

Carefully, Danny pulled up one white glove mindful not to pull it all the way off, or it would just rematerialize back on his hand, and he set the wire chip on pale flesh. A small code popped up and glowed a brilliant blue before the wires sank beneath his skin and fanned out like small electronic veins. Immediately Danny felt something in him balance out and a weight he hadn't even realized he'd been forced to get used to disappear.

Tugging back on his glove, Danny took a deep breath and smiled when nothing happened. He completely forgot who was in the room when he grinned.

"Thanks…oh, right, Watch Tower, scary Bat."

Batman loomed forward slightly, and Danny floated off the ground raising palms in a placating manner.

"Sorry, I meant…"

"What does it do?"

Now it was Danny's turn to be confused, "Robin didn't tell you? It takes away one of my powers. Well not really, more like it balances it out so I don't accidentally die…or you know, kill myself any farther."

That made absolutely no sense whatsoever, but Batman would look into that later as he regarded the teen silently before the alarm went off. Snapping the hero to attention, and he raced out of the room. Danny at his heels, but before the other League members boxed him in, the halfa saw a flash of red and green and the swish of a cape and Danny's eyes went wide. For it looked like a small kid no older than twelve, with messy black hair blazed past him with an 'R' stitched across his chest. Superman flew beside him and frowned, "What are you doing?"

Danny figured the question was for him mainly because Batman didn't even recognize the other hero. But it looked like he was addressing it to the Dark Knight as well.

"Helping you guys, it comes with the job description."

Flash zoomed up to their side, and Danny started to feel claustrophobic.

"A ship is landing in the hangers. It got past our defense system."

The heroes made it to the hanger right as the ship landed. The League stopped, and Danny looked around for the boy, only he wasn't there. _Had__ he imagined him?_ Danny turned back to the ship and instantly recognized the T-Sub before the hatch even opened, and Robin jumped out.

"Starfire's missing."

Robin was already getting back into the ship with Danny at his heels. The halfa didn't even hear the protests from the League till Superman was flying towards the ship, and instantly hit a liquid green shield that stretched across the room.

"Lantern!"

"It's not me," Hal said. The eight heroes turned back towards the ship as the engine started up. Superman prepared to follow. Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter already preparing to head towards their ships when Batman cut them off.

"Let them go."

"What?"

The heroes rounded on him, but Batman didn't move.

"Let them go."

"Oh, right because your kids like him," Green Arrow retorted crossing his arms. But he backed away when Batman turned a demonic scowl upon him.

"It is not a matter of my emotions being compromised because of my _partners_," everyone flinched, they all knew that when in costume, you didn't reveal _anything_ about the Bats even in the safety of the Watch Tower, "but their team mate is missing, what would we have done?"

The Justice League stood in silence for they all knew the answer.

The Titans took off.

* * *

><p><em>But this was merely the start of their <em>_troubles. F__or the odd little alien girl did not know where to go__,__ for why would her home world take her in? 'I must find a new world' the alien thought, 'one that would accept someone as hideous as me'. So Starfire travelled to the worlds each one containing one of her deformities but each time the natives ran away screaming in fear till all hope lost, the little alien girl drifted deeper and deeper into the darkest part of the galaxy, unaware of the danger following her._

"So she just ran off?" Danny said in disbelief.

"We don't know why, Star just flipped out when we saw her," Beastboy answered, twitching anxiously in his seat.

"So she left because of the way she looks?"

"It doesn't matter why she left," Robin stated his voice filtering in from the speakers. "All that matters is getting her back." Danny felt his chest tighten with worry, and he pushed down the fear of what would happen to Robin if they didn't find Starfire.

"How are we going to find her?" Raven asked calmly.

Cyborg answered, "Starfire gives off solar energy. I can filter out the wavelengths, analyze them and track her signal."

Immediately coordinates popped on screen, and Robin floored it.

* * *

><p>Starfire landed in one of the darkest worlds. The land almost completely black with only purple hues, the forest covered everything the dense foliage making it difficult for her to move around.<p>

"Hello?" Star asked only silence answering, "Your world is most inhospitable. I would perhaps be welcomed here?" She asked as a chill having nothing to do with the temperature ran down her spine. Star whirled around and saw vines at her feet. Those hadn't been there before. Then they moved and a giant man eating purple flower rose up. Its teeth pointy and green saliva dribbled down them, it let out a roar and Starfire took off. Her resistance proved futile though. The trees so close together it made flight difficult, and Star felt her stomach lurch when vines wrapped around her ankles and soon she was trapped and the plant ate her whole.

It didn't even chew before it spat her back out. She watched it spit on the ground before moving off, and Starfire wasn't sure if she should be grateful or insulted. Instead she settled on washing the green saliva off her face in the nearby river. Once clean she allowed herself to look at her form in the rippling water and the bump on her head quivered before sharpening like a tusk. Starfire gave a sigh and whipped the growing tears from her eyes.

"Oh, what is happening to me?" she buried her face in her hands.

"Something wonderful."

Starfire jumped and looked up to see a beautifulwoman, white as her flowing dress, floating across the river to meet her. Star cringed and turned away, "Please, I am too repelling to be seen by one so glorious."

The woman with purple eyes smiled, "Fear not, young Tameranian. There is nothing wrong with you."

Those words filled Starfire to the brim with hope, and hesitantly she turned back to the woman whose long silvery hair swayed around her in the nonexistent breeze.

"Nothing wrong?"

Her savoir held out one small petite hand, "Come, all will be made clear shortly."

_And with hope in her heart, Starfire placed one blue clawed hand in hers and they headed off to the amethyst crystal caves__. __Star__fire__ never realizing the danger this goddess possessed._

* * *

><p>The Titans headed to three other worlds following Starfire's random trail and each time they grew in desperation. All the while using Beastboy as an example to describe their friend. Eventually though, they passed an asteroid belt and came to a world pitch black surrounded by two purple moons.<p>

"This is the last place that has Star's signature after that I don' know," Cyborg answered.

Robin silently steered the ship closer, bringing it into orbit.

The woman in white led Star deeper into the cavern. Her feet never touching the ground, "You are changing. Do you know why?"

Starfire looked at her face in the thousands of crystals before answering. "It is because I have a…zit?" she asked sitting down on the rounded crystal chair the woman motioned to. The lady smiled and gave a small chuckle.

"Not quite, my dear. You are experiencing the Transformation. A perfectly normal part of the Tameranian life cycle," she answered.

"But I do not understand. When my sister had Transformation, she merely turned purple for two days, why have I…"

"Transformation is different for each Tameranian, and you, sweet child, are one of the special few who will transform into a chrysalis," the woman's voice hissed, and she licked her lips. Starfire pulled back in fear when all of the sudden she felt something wrap around her arms and looking down she watched as her body began to cover itself in a cocoon of green and white design.

Starfire fell to the floor and panicked.

"Relax dear. It will all be over soon."

Green plates slid up to her waist and made it impossible to move. Star looked to the woman in fear and asked, "How do you know these things?" Her shoulders and neck were securely bound in the cocoon only her head had yet to be covered, and the woman in white smiled hungrily.

"I know my dear, because I am a cheramilian chrysalis eater."

Starfire screamed when the woman's body split open, and a alien with four giant legs, two claws and a bald armored head with the body of a spider emerged with black and purple strips covering her body.

Starfire tried to struggle as the chrysalis fully encompassed her in the shell. The final piece of her prison started to grow. The leafy structure elegant and beautiful, but at the moment the Titan could only scream. Because the second it closed, she was dead. The monster hovered above her, grumbling in anticipation of her next meal.

"Wonderful, soon your cocoon will be complete, and you my dear will be at the peak of flavor. In the mean time, scream all you like it wets my appetite."

Starfire shook her head and looked away. "No, I have no reason to scream. I can no longer have a home or friends. I am far too ugly for such things."

The beast hissed and a claw appeared by her eyes. "Oh, I don't think you're ugly at all my dear," and as the woman said this, Starfire's cocoon closed completely and suddenly the urge to sleep overtook the girl, while the monster drew closer to stare through the slightly transparent material. "In fact, you look good enough to eat."

"Starfire!"

The chrysalis eater turned to see a teen in red and green throw something that exploded in her face. She screamed and jumped away, before trying to stab him with her giant claws. The boy wonder leapt away drawing the creature from the cocoon, and Danny rushed over to help him, blasting her with ecto-energy which only seemed to annoy her. She swung out wide, and Danny dropped down and rolled away while Robin whipped out his bow staff and lunged.

"We'll hold her off, get Starfire out of here!" he called to the team, leaping out of the way as a claw buried itself in the dirt. Danny fired a beam stronger this time and sent the creature into the crystal walls. The gems fell to the floor glittering brighter than diamonds.

"Starfire?" Cyborg asked looking around in confusion when the three teammates heard a tired, "Here" issue from the beautiful cocoon. All three looked down to her in surprise before setting to work on lifting the shell.

The chrysalis eater caught the three trying to steal her dinner and quicker than both teens realized, she had grabbed Robin's cape and flung him towards a stalagmite. Danny flew at him, managing to grab Robin around the waist to turn him, and the halfa felt the crystal slam into him instead. It did little damage and both recovered to see Starfire underneath the monster who shrieked possessively over her meal.

"Your friend belongs to me now. You can have her back once I finish digesting her."

Cyborg lunged, and a giant claw hit him in the stomach as Raven attacked, her magic having little to no effect on the thing. Beastboy turned into a lion and jumped onto the things shoulder, his teeth digging in but not breaking the armored flesh. The chrysalis eater flung him off and tried to impale him through the stomach only to be met with a green shield. Danny stood between them.

Cyborg blasted her back with his sonic canon and jumped, taking aim again. She flung him into another part of the cavern. The team managed to corner her, and Danny felt his mind whirling looking for a way to destroy that armor when the creature backed up and leapt for the wall. None of them were prepared and soon the chrysalis eater was lunging for Star's cocoon, her jaw starting to dislocate so her fangs could sink into the green shell.

Robin's heart stopped and his body moved without realizing it, he was sliding across the dirt kicking himself and Star out of harm's way right when the mouth buried itself into the rocks below. The rest of the Titans lunged. But Robin wasn't paying any attention to them. He knew they'd keep the thing away.

"Starfire, are you okay?"

Slowly the teen could her Robin's voice filter in through the shell before a red batarang began to cut through the material. Starfire woke up then, and fear gripped her heart. Robin was going to see her again, he was going to see the monster she'd become.

Hands replaced the weapon, "I'm going to get you out."

"No!" She slammed the shell closed with her hands, "Please, go. You will not wish to see me this way."

Robin at this point didn't care. He only needed to know that she was alright. Slowly, he started working to open the cocoon again, talking softly to the girl trapped beneath it, "I'm your friend, Starfire. I don't care how you look." He opened the shell, and the smile he gave Starfire stole her breath away.

"Besides, you look fine to me," he said holding up one broken crystal so she could see her startled, normal, face. Starfire grabbed the rock and flew into the air a smile across her face.

"I am normal," her eyes turned electric green on accident, and she shot two green beams from them before blushing and looking down to her relieved friend, "Mostly."

Robin and Starfire turned when they heard the beast give a roar.

"No, since you have stolen my meal, I shall devour you instead," she yelled holding both Cyborg and Raven in her claws.

Starfire felt rage burn in her, and she flew up to the monster, "Devour this!" and shot the creature with her eyes. The beams hit the creature solidly in the chest, and it blew the woman clear into the forest outside where a waiting plant sat. They heard the thing scream before a crunch followed it. Cyborg and Raven landed lightly on the ground before the entire team rushed over and gave Starfire a group hug.

"Dude, since when can your eyes do that?" Beastboy shouted backing away, Star's cheeks turned red.

"Um, since just now?"

Danny scowled playfully and nudged her in the arm, "Just don't run off like that again, you nearly ended my afterlife."

The team laughed before worry began to naw at Star. She clasped her hands together and looked at them all, "Please do not reject me. I am mostly normal."

"You're exactly as you should be. No matter how you change on the outside, you'll always be Starfire on the inside," Robin answered.

Star looked around in shock to see everyone smiling at her, and she couldn't help but blush at her over reaction. After all, her friends would never label her a monster, and they would fight to keep her just like they fought to keep Danny who was flying back towards the ship with Beastboy chasing him. Something along the lines of a race, only the changeling kept saying the halfa was cheating.

Flying back to Earth the atmosphere was light and filled with jokes. But the second they landed at Titan's Tower, Starfire felt the tension in the air grow. Until walking in the living, the teens were met with eight superheroes. Robin stepped forward and sent a glare at Superman who felt a pang in his heart, remembering the days when the kid had looked up with adoration in his eyes… much to Batman's displeasure he might add.

"What do you want?"

Before any of the elder heroes could reply, Danny stepped forward and met the teen's eyes.

"Hey could you give us a minute?"

Robin was clearly unhappy by this, but none the less motioned for the team to follow him out.

The doors slid shut silently, and Danny turned back towards the Justice League. Only his eyes immediately sought Batman and his shoulders relaxed a little.

"I'm prepared to make you a deal."

The team straightened, "What kind of deal?" Superman asked instantly weary, but Danny didn't spare him a look.

"Allow me to stay here. I won't leave Jump City, and I'll stay under the Teen Titans supervision, and in return I'll give you all of the Fenton's research and weapons along with my own knowledge of the Ghost Zone."

"And if we accept?" Wonder Woman asked stepping forward. Danny looked towards her and smiled.

"You won't bother me, or kidnap me, got it."

"Hey, we didn't kidnap you!" Flash exclaimed clutching his heart dramatically, and Danny couldn't help the small smile. He reminded him of Beastboy.

"Done."

Superman whirled around to look at Batman.

"We haven't even discussed it."

Both Batman and Danny ignored him, "Give me a second," and in a flash of green energy, Danny was standing in the lab, Fixit pulling out a disk.

"Here are all the files."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Batman paid me a visit, but refused to take anything."

"I see, put it in that duffle bag. I need to pack it with my other weapons."

After about five minutes the bag was filled to the brim with one of each weapon and all of the Intel he ever collected. Fixit gave him a curious look once Danny finished explaining the deal he'd made.

"Might I ask why you want to stay with the Titans? Not that you already don't. But after this it will be harder for you to leave the Tower."

"Vlad paid me a visit at the Watch Tower," Danny started, and Fixit straightened and his gaze darkened but Danny didn't notice or chose not to comment. "He's up to something, and no doubt they're going to be a part of it. I have to protect them." Fixit could only nod because right now he wanted nothing more than to stab that man in the heart.

Danny reappeared and handed the bag over to the Man of Steel who took it silently a look of contemplation in his eyes.

"Earlier you mentioned your family dying in the explosion, but according to our records, Mr. Lancer was single and the Fenton's actively hunted you."

The teen momentarily stiffened before he let out a sigh, "None of them were my real family, Sam, Tucker, Jazz and Danny Fenton were the closest things I've ever had to achieving that level of companionship. Danny and I were the only ones to make it out alive."

Martian Manhunter stepped forward for the first time, calmly gazing at the teen, "And what happened to Danny Fenton?"

Phantom looked down, "We hardly speak anymore. It's too painful to remember what we once were a part of."

J'onn nodded silently, this was something he understood.

Pain crossed Superman's face before he placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder slightly shocked at how narrow it was. But then again to the Man of Steel, everything seemed small.

"Thank you," he stepped back and light began to encompass all of the members before they disappeared.

Danny let out a sigh right when the doors burst open, and the team came rushing in.

"Danny!"

The halfa looked flabbergasted at their outburst before he laughed and changed back to his human form.

"What? I'm off the hook. Didn't think I could get the Justice League off my back?"

Everyone smiled, but Robin gave him a knowing look that said they were going to talk later which was fine.

* * *

><p>In the darkened cave Batman stood, the computer humming quietly in the background as the master of the house turned over the small device in his palm. It was a mechanical bug, no bigger than the head of an eraser. Jason had found five of them in the Tower and deactivated them. This was the only one that wasn't smashed, the one that would give the Dark Knight the answers to his questions.<p>

Standing, Bruce pulled up the security feed and replayed the video of the holding cell where Danny sat. When Superman left after reading the file he watched intently as those shoulders tensed. Danny had been careful, shielding his face from view, and again Bruce felt a swell of pride in his chest for it had been Jason to notice the offset appearance of the teen. At the time though, he hadn't said anything. Merely watched, and in the end, gave Batman the silent signal that more was going on then what met the eyes.

So now, here he set, he hadn't corrected the story Danny Phantom told the Justice League back at the Titans Tower. After all, he knew how important a secret identity was, but now he wondered just who the…_halfa _was protecting. Or more likely, who was the teen protecting them from. Batman crushed the bug in his hands. No one was going to hurt those teens. _No one_. And to make sure of that he opened the file Robin had sent him. He smirked and set to work.

* * *

><p>Danny found Robin in the training room, stretching.<p>

"Hey."

"Hey, so how did you get away?" Robin asked doing a back bend. Danny decided to join him and both teens were soon talking at eye level, their jet black hair brushing the floor on the mat.

"Gave them my info on the Ghost Zone, tech and weapons, mainly got the idea 'cause Batman looked like he was going to ask for it anyways."

Robin gave a snort and lifted up into a handstand while Danny rolled into a sitting position.

"So, I've gotta ask, do you have a little brother?"

Robin yelped and toppled over before sitting back up, "What? I—no! Why would you think that?" The boy wonder asked his voice getting smaller and smaller. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Because there was a kid there in a similar uniform."

"Batman brought him to the Watch Tower!" Robin exclaimed, and Danny smirked victoriously.

"Ha, I was right you do have a little brother!"Robin's words then caught up with Danny, and his jaw hit the floor, "Wait…Batman brought him…you mean _Batman's_ your mentor?!"

Robin shushed him before he ran his hand through his gelled hair.

"Yes, now please shut up. Not many people know that outside of Gotham and the Justice League."

Danny was still in shock. But judging by the panicked look in the teen's eyes, he figured this was really important.

"Alright. I'll keep my mouth shut, but really I shouldn't be all that surprised. Oh and thanks for the wire chip, it's really helped," he said standing up and heading towards the door leaving Robin slightly shocked.

"Why?" he asked. Danny paused by the door and smiled knowing what his friend was asking.

"Because you and Batman both have the same glare," he answered and with this he walked away. Heading off to bed, finally figuring out why he'd trusted Batman. Because the man had felt safe. And in the training room, Robin smiled fondly remembering his mentor.

"Yeah, I guess we do."

Pressing a button on the computer consol, the room filled with beams, bars and a set of trapezes.

* * *

><p>The president had been woken up at a god forsaken hour by the tapping on his window. Grudgingly, he flipped on the lights to go break off that annoying twig, and instead was met by an open window and a stack of files on his night table. A black bat impaled through the paper making it impossible for the pages to fly away. Shakily, the balding man sat up and opened the folder and in big block letters read: Operation Black Dawn.<p>

The next morning he called a press conference and the disbanding and arresting of all GiW members for illegal funding, billons in tax dollars and charges of over two dozen federal crimes.

_And so our story concludes with a bang__. T__he Titans once again whole and happy and those scumbag of hunters being put behind bars. Please forgive my language, dear readers__,__ but those ghost hunters were quite annoying. For that I am allowed a little leeway until next time._

_~Ghost Writer_

The ghost stopped writing and popped his knuckles finally done with the last page. He smiled at his work and bound the book together. It was one story he was glad to write but as the book floated towards the shelf his smile fell. He had wanted to end it on a happier note. But with the things stirring in the Ghost Zone, the Writer feared a happy ending wasn't going to happen for the halfa any time soon.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	30. Chapter 23: Rising Titan

_Just you._

"_True friendship isn't about being there when it's convenient; _

_it's about being there when it's not." _

_~Unknown_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 23: Rising Titan

It was a beautiful evening, and the sun was starting to set. The light made the contrast between Robin and Danny as striking as night and day while they stood in defensive positions. Both were smirking mischievously. The team was playing volley ball on the roof of the Tower. It had been three days since they'd gotten Danny back, and the teens were enjoying every minute of their free time.

At the beginning of the game though, Beastboy had tried to ban Danny and Starfire from flying, but the second Robin spiked the ball at him, BB had to transform into a gorilla to hit it back, and he was promptly overruled. On the other side, Raven sat behind the two teens meditating silently. Cyborg, Starfire and Beastboy stood on the opposite side of the net. Star threw the ball in the air and jumped. There was a slap and the ball rocketed towards the two teens. Robin leapt and round house kicked it over, Cyborg countered, and Danny zipped under the ball hurtling it back.

The halfa and boy wonder got into position as the ball went back over to Beastboy. "I got it!" BB yelled before the gorilla spiked it. Both teammates screamed and jumped out of the way. The ball zoomed past them. The second Beastboy noticed it was heading straight towards Raven he panicked.

"Raven, look out!"

The ball stopped within an inch of colliding into the back of her skull. The ball was encompassed in black magic and rocketed back into the changeling's stomach. Beastboy gave a small 'oof' and toppled over. His arms wrapped around the ball and his stomach. All the Titans turned wide eyed towards their friend.

"You sure you don't want to join?" Robin asked.

"Yes, please volley the ball with us!"

"C'mon, I'll play you with one hand behind my back," Cy persuaded, disconnecting his right arm and waving it in the air.

Raven shook her head, not even opening her eyes, "I can't. I have to meditate.

The team shrugged and went back to playing before Beastboy once again over shot the ball.

"Look out, again!"

Not even bothering with stopping it, Raven merely floated out of the way and let the ball fall all the way to the bottom of the Tower. Her friends screamed before Beastboy grumbled and offered to go get it. He walked halfway across the roof when the ball flung itself back onto the concrete, rolling up to his feet.

The Titans looked up in surprise when the shadow of a girl rose up and stood on a floating rock. Her pale yellow hair alight in flames from the sun.

"So, which team am I on?" Terra asked.

The girl hadn't even stepped on the roof before Beastboy and Starfire charged. Star made it to her first and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Terra, hello long lost friend, you remember me, yes?"

Terra's face started turning red from the blood rush, "Of course, Starfire. I still have bruises from the last time you hugged me." She stated patting the other girl on the back before Star let her go, and Beastboy stumbled up to her.

"Terra, you're, I mean, I…how's it…what's up?" Terra gave him a quick hug and pinched his cheek causing Beastboy to fall over blushing tomato red.

"Well if it isn't my favorite little rock n' roller," Cy stated while he, Danny, and Robin walked up. Terra beamed, and the two high fived.

"Cyborg, Robin, what's up?" She asked before shaking hands with Robin who smiled in welcome.

"Good to see you again," he answered. Beastboy jumped in his face.

"Good? Is he kidding, it's great to see you again, I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" That last admission left both teens blushing. Before Beastboy remembered Danny who was looking a little peeved since he didn't know who she was. The changeling grabbed Terra by her wrist and dragged her over to meet him.

"Danny, this is Terra," he exclaimed, and the halfa chuckled before extending his hand.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Terra."

"Right back at you," she answered before Beastboy whirled her around to face Raven who was floating at the edge of the Tower still meditating.

"Raven, wake up, Terra's back. Isn't that awesome!"

Raven cracked open an eye and frowned.

"Super. Just help yourself to anything in the fridge and don't forget to lock the door when you leave."

The blonde girl placed her hands on her hips and in a matter of fact tone spoke up, "Actually, I kinda wasn't planning on leaving this time." She stated before turning back and smiling to the five teens behind her. "I'm ready to take you guys up on your offer. I wanna be a Teen Titan!"

Terra looked around to each of their stunned faces. Beastboy actually saying "ugh…" Instantly, Terra's dark blue eyes closed off.

"Got it, sorry," she snapped backing away, "didn't realize the offer had an expiration date."

Terra turned around but paused when a firm hand landed on her shoulder. She looked back, and the boy wonder stood next to her, worry in his eyes.

"The offer didn't expire. We're just concerned," he answered.

Beastboy jumped in, "Yeah, it's 'cause well um…last time when you kind of freaked out and ran away, you didn't exactly…you weren't completely…"

"You couldn't control your power," Raven stated walking up while the changeling gave a strangled noise in fear preparing for the worst. Terra gave a 'no duh' look and smiled.

"Hello, that's why I left. Robin said I needed practice so I've been practicing. Check this out."

And in a flash she pulled on her blue goggles and jumped up onto her rock and took off, lifting three more rocks in the air all of them following her around like an aerial show. It was amazing to watch and Danny found himself awing right along with the rest of the Titans. All except Raven who wasn't impressed in the slightest.

"Dude, she really has gotten better!" BB exclaimed.

"She's learned a few tricks it doesn't mean she's any less dangerous."

In one final move the rocks split, each one taking a side before Terra rushed back towards the Tower all the rocks converging in a collision course, the team ducked, but the rocks instead shot straight up as Terra dropped down on the roof raised her arms and the earth imploded into dust. Terra pulled off her goggles and smiled, "See, I've got everything under control."

Right as she said that the ground beneath their feet shook in a small tremor, the team looked back at her and Terra shook her head.

"It wasn't me."

"Earthquakes, small ones but they're happening all over the city," Cyborg stated looking at the computer screen, red dots highlighting the seismic activity.

"Too many to be natural," Terra added with Beastboy standing beside her, hearts in his eyes.

Robin agreed, "That's because they're not earthquakes. They're a trail. Something is moving under the city. We need to find out what. Titans, go!"

The team headed towards the door. But Danny, Raven and Robin paused when they realized Terra hadn't moved.

"Are you coming or not?" Robin asked.

"Does this mean I'm on the team?"

Robin raised one masked eyebrow, "It means we could use your help."

Seeming satisfied, Terra raced past them, and Raven felt herself jolt. Twisted images filling her head: Terra's gold eyes, and a black eye in Slade's mask."

Raven let out a gasp, stumbling backwards before Danny rested one palm between her shoulder blades, and Robin took a step forward in worry.

"Everything okay?"

Shaking her head, Rae and stood back up, "Can't tell, are you sure it's safe to have her around?"

Danny looked to Raven then Robin who shook his head, "Not entirely, but everyone deserves a second chance."

Silently the three took off.

* * *

><p>It was in the middle of Main Street, during rush hour traffic as workers tried to get back home to their families, when the ground shook and a giant metal worm with one red eye burst through the road and rose to the level of a typical building. Panic broke out in the streets, and all the people began to flee. The creature let out a roar and looked down to the city bus below trying in vain to back away. But half of the vehicle was already over the rocks and tilting closer towards the edge.<p>

The bus driver looked up in horror and watched the beast drop down, opening its jaws. He couldn't even scream as the bus jolted and was yanked back to safety in black magic with the passengers running out and away from the fight. The Teen Titans all stood in the middle of the road.

"You missed the bus," Robin stated and Cyorg picked up a taxi in response.

"Guess you better take a cab," he advised and threw it, the machine exploding in the creatures face. The thing lunged and Raven's eyes went white, "Azarath Meterion…"

"I got it!" Terra leapt in the fray and sharp rocks jutted out from the road the worm fell backwards. Tumbling into the street before Beastboy rammed it, slamming the thing into the nearby building.

The wooly mammoth turned back when he was hit with a red beam.

"Beastboy!" Terra cried.

"The thing has a death ray," Danny added his fists lighting up, Robin growled.

"Danny, phase into that thing and tear up its wires, we need to end this."

"With pleasure."

The Titan took off, flying up to the things head, his body nothing but an outline and hit solid metal. Robin watched Danny fall ten feet before righting himself.

"I can't phase in!"

The instant he said that the team attacked. Star throwing bolts left and right making sure the creatures ray aimed for the sky and not the city below.

Terra and Beastboy landed next to Cyborg and Robin, both hopped off the rock as the boy wonder turned towards her.

"Good work, Terra, now help me get in its face."

Terra nodded and her hands lit up in gold as six rocks rose up in step like formation. Robin jumped across them, dodging the red beam till he leapt flipping in the air and released a handful of small mines, right into the worm's mouth. Starfire caught him and flew off. The creature let out a pissed off roar, and Cyborg fired his sonic canon while Beastboy gripped him in his claws.

Danny watched the creature blindly start firing. And he flew up to Robin and Starfire on the roof nearby.

"We're only pissing it off."

"I know. Star, take me down, Danny, cover me."

Starfire let Robin go, and the teen hit the pavement on the roof letting his knees absorb the shock. He fired his grapple gun and let it wrap around the creature, flinging him up and over Danny who was twisting around following his movements.

Terra watched the group fighting before she lifted up a giant rock preparing to throw it. Black magic encompassed it.

"What're you doing?" Terra growled looking across the street to Raven. The rock shaking in gold and black, suspended in the air above the two girls.

"No, it's too dangerous. Someone could get hurt," Raven warned and pulled the rock closer to her, cracks beginning to form on its surface.

"I know what I'm doing, trust me."

Both girls pulled at the still fracturing rock. Robin and Danny landed on a roof preparing for the final blow when the leader noticed the girls on the street battling it out, the red beam aimed at them.

"Terra, Raven, look out!"

Both girls were blown backwards when the foreign energy slammed into the rock. Quickly, Robin took out his grapple hook, placed his bow staff in between the handle, grabbed one side while Danny took the other and both leapt off the skyscraper. The wires wrapped around the creature, snapped together as the teens used the worms own momentum to propel them into the alleyway, throwing off the creature's balance. The worm fell with a hard thud before it shook its head and dug back down into the earth disappearing.

Terra and Raven stood up face to face and glared at each other.

"Way to go," they both hissed.

"C'mon, it's getting away!" Robin called, the team ran up to the hole when Rob's communicator went off. He answered it, and Slade appeared.

"Slade."

"Robin, it's good to see you again. I do hope I haven't called at a bad time."

Danny knew that was bullshit as he stood next to his friend, gazing at the one eyed man.

"The worm, what are you planning?" Robin asked getting straight to the point.

"Well now, Robin, if you're so very curious why don't you come down here and find out?"

With this the transmission cut out and Robin motioned for the team to follow. They descended into the dark depths. The temperature steadily dropping, Starfire shivered.

"That worm has left a very long trail. This tunnel at least continues for two more blinthrogs."

"And we're more than three-hundred meters below sea level," Cy added. "What's it doing down here?"

"Whatever Slade tells it too."

"Not a comforting thought," Danny replied to Robin as he hovered along the passage way looking behind him to Raven and Terra who were lagging behind and both looking peeved.

Terra decided to break the tense silence, "So sorry about our little tug of war back there. You know I wouldn't have let anybody get hurt."

"Whatever."

Terra flushed in annoyance because here she was bending over backwards for this girl, and she wouldn't even look at her or even pay the courteously of trying to act civil.

"Okay look, I don't know what your problem is but get over it. If I'm going to be a part of this team we have to get along."

Raven snapped, "You're not a part of this team! And if you endanger my friends again. You never will be. So the next time I tell you something is to dangerous, _take my word for it!"_ She screamed before storming off, leaving Terra shell shocked and a little miffed.

"Um…why does she hate me?" Terra asked as Danny flew up to her. Both watching Beastboy trying to calm Raven down.

"She doesn't hate you. She merely doesn't know you. Give her some time."

"But she doesn't trust me? How can we even get along?" Terra exclaimed in frustration.

Danny smiled in understanding, he placed a cool hand on the girls shoulder, and her dark blue eyes met his green ones, "Give her time."

Terra felt the anger leave her, and she sighed, "Was she the same way with you?"

Danny flushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck, "Not exactly, it's complicated. But I'm pretty sure it took her a year to start liking Beastboy."

Terra watched silently as Danny flew away back towards their leader while Beastboy walked up to her and kindly smiled. Finally they emerged in a cavern with no other viable paths.

"A dead end."

Danny quirked an eyebrow in Raven's direction.

"Sorry."

Robin stepped forward and pulled out his communicator and started his scans.

"Not necessarily. I'm picking up a signal from deep inside the rock," he stated as Cyborg stepped forward and tapped his ear, enhancing the sensor.

"Yeah, way deep. Electronics, and a heartbeat."

"Slade."

Terra stomped her foot on the ground.

"How about we dig down there and see what's up," her hands a bright golden glow and the entire cavern shook. Terra stumbled back into Raven who glowered at her.

"Are you going to give me that look every time there's an earthquake?"

Raven didn't have time to answer when the ground erupted and three mechanical worms tore through the earth sending dirt and debris flying. The team was surrounded.

"Titans, ready…"

Robin didn't even finish his order before the creatures screamed and burrowed away, creating three new connected tunnels not even bothering with them. Beastboy walked up to the giant hole and waved his hands in the air.

"Hello? Good guys over here! Dude, we got snubbed."

"Because we are not their targets," Starfire answered.

"Three of those worms together could wreck anything in the city," Cy stated rubbing the back of his head to ease the pain from a rock having struck it.

"We have to stop them," Terra said bawling her glowing fists, but Raven cut in.

"We have to stop Slade."

Robin stepped forward all eyes fell on him, "Split up. Starfire, Cyborg, Beastboy, go after the worms. Terra, Raven and Danny, we're going after Slade."

Cyborg whirled around, "Star, BB, let's move!" Before disappearing down the dark tunnel.

Terra placed her hands on her hips, "I can make a tunnel on my own, shouldn't she go…"

Robin looked up from the screen he'd been working on and frowned, "No, Raven's almost as good at moving earth as you are. We're digging through solid rock, I'll need you both."

The two girls glared at each other before looking away. Danny cringed, but Robin pointedly ignored them.

"Nice try," Raven sneered.

"I've got a fix on the signal, forty degrees down, six hundred meters deep."

"No problem," both snapped and immediately they started blasting away.

"Is that as fast as you can go?" Terra challenged.

"Not even close."

Both started moving forward.

"Careful, this rock isn't stable, just take it a little…" He trailed off when he saw the girls a few meters ahead of him. Danny floated down to the ground with one eyebrow raised in curiosity and partial resignation.

"Place some ice beams up for stabilization," he deadpanned. Robin sighed.

"Yeah, don't want them to cause a cave in."

"They'd kill each other if that happened."

"From the rocks or being trapped together?" Robin asked walking forward. Danny pretended to give it some thought.

"Both."

* * *

><p>The three worms diverged, two branching off to the sides and one heading up. The Titans stopped and looked at the paths. Cy smirked, "I'll take the ugly one. Teen Titans, go!"<p>

They split up. Doing any and everything to slow them down. Only after Cyborg ate a mound of dirt he figured trying to stop it by instigating a one way tug-of-war wasn't smart. He hoped the others were faring better.

However Starfire quickly realized melting the earth around the worms tail wasn't a wise thought when she had to dodge the toppling rocks as the worm wiggled free, and Beastboy was positive he wouldn't need to clip his finger nails for a couple years with the file down they took. It wasn't going so well.

* * *

><p>The four Titans broke through the cave wall and emerged into a massive cavern, completely built with support beams, the floor metal and at the center a computer, the circular holographic screen displaying Titans Tower and looking up the teens gasped for there, floating above them, was a giant green ring that looked suspiciously a lot like the three mechanical worms they'd been fighting.<p>

Cyborg hit the ground once more before he shakily stood, his arm blinked and he growled.

"BB, Star, we're getting close to the surface, whatever their target is they're about to hit it with everything they've got."

The worms broke through the surface, and the Titans followed coming up on a familiar shore and dread filled them all. The mechanical creatures took flight and the drills on their heads broke apart and the three connected together and formed a ring encircling high above the Tower. The red eye beams facing the ground. And all too soon the lasers hit the ground and began cutting through the rock.

"Robin, it's the Tower! They're attacking Titans Tower!" Cyborg screamed, down in the cave Robin watched with wide eyes as the holo screen projected the plan.

"It's not under siege, it's about to be under ground."

"Slade's trying to sink it" BB stated, none of them could take their eyes off the red lasers cutting through the shore's rocky soil.

Cyborg growled, "One drill going up, the other going down. If either of them break through we're going to need a new place to live."

Starfire's eyes went electric green, "I like where we live."

"Star, work on taking out the flight stabilizers. BB, take me up."

The teens took off and attacked.

* * *

><p>Down below the four Titans were doing the same only nothing was working. Robin raced back to the computer and furiously started typing. While Danny tried his com link.<p>

"If we can't break the drill, then hacking this computer is our only shot at shutting it down."

"I can't reach Fixit, we're too far underground," Danny stated before blasting away a falling rock about to collide with Robin's head.

"Then we'll make do, it's too dangerous for him to be here."

The first fire wall broke when Slade jumped over the computer, a kick aimed at Robin's chest. The teen stumbled back and leapt out of the way. Danny whirled around preparing to join the fight along with Raven and Terra, when Robin called out to them, all the while dodging the masked man.

"Forget about me, shut down the drill."

The three skidded to a halt and watched as Slade punched the button to the open elevator and watched it rocket up with their friend in it.

"Damn," Danny turned back to the computer and started typing. Raven right behind him.

"How long will this take?"

"I'm not the best hacker but we'll see," he answered the screen filling up with countless codes of binary math that looked like a whole other language to Raven.

She looked over to Terra who smirked, "Why hack when you can smash?" As she said this a large rock coated in gold floated up behind Danny.

"No!" Raven stopped it with her magic, and Danny whirled around to see the girls in a battle of wills, the ground above them steadily sinking.

They didn't have time for this, "Enough!"

Terra and Raven screamed when suddenly their feet left the ground, breaking their concentration on the rock which tumbled to the ground, Danny glared at them.

"What is your problem? The Tower is under siege and you two won't stop fighting!"

Terra struggled in the green energy.

"My problem, why don't you ask doom in gloom!" She spat.

"If we destroy the controls we might never stop it!" Raven snapped looking at the girl. Terra met her gaze and glared.

"Or we might stop it sooner, and save our home! Why can't you just trust me?"

"Because you don't deserve it!" Raven finally yelled, shocking both Danny and Terra. But Raven didn't even notice, she only focused on the blonde who had frozen in the green energy.

"I have to meditate every day to keep my powers under control and I'm supposed to believe that you can suddenly control yours? Trust is something you have to earn."

Terra growled, "But Danny didn't earn it!" Terra practically whined looking over to him, his green eyes gave her a sharp look.

"No. The Titans earned my trust."

Realization and desperation filled Terra then, "How? How do I earn it?" She asked him, but Raven was the one who answered.

"You can start by trusting me."

Terra met her eyes and for a moment before nodding. Danny let out a sigh and was blown towards the girls, all of them giving startled screams as a massive rock hit the computer and blew up the consol. The red beams increased in power.

All three Titans stood up and watched in horror as the rock continued to sink. Terra grinned sheepishly.

"Okay, so maybe smashing the computer was a bad idea."

The elevator continued to move, Robin leaping up and over to avoid a powerful kick, but his eyes caught a flash of red and he looked over to see the sinking ground more than a meter down and still falling.

"The Tower."

"Going down," Slade said before he jumped out of the elevator. It took a second to realize Slade meant more than the Tower. Robin jumped out of the box cart before it slammed into the roof and exploded. He flung out a grapple hook and landed on one of the beams nearby.

* * *

><p>Cyborg landed on top of the machine and turned his fist into a mini drill only making a tiny hole in the thick armor before looking up to the green octopus.<p>

"Beastboy, go!"

A tentacle gave salute before a tiny mouse squeezed down into the wiring of the machine, the changeling furiously nibbling through the circuits. The machine began to coil and explode in on itself and soon the whole thing fell to pieces. Starfire and Cyborg landed on the banks and Beastboy joined them transforming out of his hawk form, the three of them cheered watching the thing crumble and fall into the water.

"Robin, we did it, we took out the drill!" Cy said to his built in com, "Robin?"

All three screamed when three laser beams burst through the ground and the Tower shook and began to sink below the sea level, the water rising high above them only being kept back by the moving lasers and the circumference of the sinking land mass.

"No!"

"Go!" Cyborg ordered and Star took him up while Beastboy flew away.

* * *

><p>The Tower sank further into the cave, destroying the last beam with its mass but it was too late, "We have to go, there's nothing we can do now." Raven stated, Terra's eyes turned gold.<p>

"Yes there is, trust me," she looked up and solid gold energy flew up striking the rock, forcing it up, a plan formed instantly in Raven's mind.

"Danny, pull from the top, we'll focus on mending the earth, Azarath Meterion Zinthos!"

Strong black magic struck next to the gold and forced the earth even higher while Danny teleported high into the sky. Focusing his telekinesis on the ground only before he raised his arms, it felt worse than lifting weights but he continued none the less.

The three Titans stood on the jogging path on the shore of the city, heads down turned in sorrow when Beastboy looked up and gave a startled gasp.

"No way…"

Cyborg lifted his eyes, instantly feeling the same, "Starfire, look."

The Tamaranian shook her head, never turning around, "I cannot our home is…"

She opened her eyes in time to see the familiar glow of the Tower reemerging from the water. Danny hovering above it, his aura a white beacon all around him. The teens broke out in joyful yells.

"He's doing it!" Beastboy yelled before Cy's communicator went off and all of them looked to the teens arm where Robin was smiling on screen.

"No, all three of them are, together."

Beastboy thought his smile would split his face.

* * *

><p>Terra and Raven calmly walked the halls of the Tower, not worrying about where they were going. Sneaking a glance, Terra felt herself smile nervously, "So, friends?" She shakily asked. Raven met her gaze before letting her lips quirk up.<p>

"Close enough."

The maybe Titan was beginning to realize that Raven's way of showing affection was mild and stubbornly difficult. It made her heart constrict happily in her chest. After all, Rae hadn't said no.

"Sorry, we got off on a rocky start."

They paused by a doorway, and Raven really did smile this time, "Actually, I thought things went pretty well. Took me a year to stop hating Beastboy."

Both girls burst into giggles, and Raven opened the door before stepping in, Terra following behind and raised an eyebrow.

"Um, where are we?"

"Your room."

And Raven clicked on the lights.

"Surprise!"

Terra stumbled back in shock before her eyes trailed around the desert style room. The walls painted in sweeping dunes and plants, the landscape melting into the night sky which was midnight purple, stars painted across it so well they actually appeared to glow.

"You guys did all this?" She asked the grinning teens.

"Danny added the details. We merely went crazy on the paint." Cyborg stated while Starfire grinned showing a smudge of purple on her cheek, obviously being the ring leader to that color. The furniture was dark. A bed in the corner, a nightstand next to it and in the middle of the floor set a couch and table overlooking the glimmering lights of the city.

"For me?"

Beastboy grinned smugly, "Yeah, since you helped save our home and all. We thought you deserved your own room." He answered wiggling his eyebrows suggesting there was more.

Terra chuckled, and Robin stepped forward a reserved smile on his face, "You also deserve one of these," extending his hand a communicator rested in it.

Carefully Terra picked it up and studied it curiously. Not daring to hope, "So, I'm…"

"A Teen Titan," Robin firmly said. "Glad to have you on the team."

He shook her hand, and Terra felt like she was on cloud nine.

"Ah yeah, very nice," Cy said.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me," BB whispered his eyes sparkling.

"Welcome new Titan!" Starfire exclaimed while Danny gave Terra a grin.

"Congratulations Terra, you earned it," Raven answered and that meant more to Terra than anything else.

"Thanks."

Cyborg jumped in, "Alright there's only one way to commemorate such a momentous occasion, Waffles!" He exclaimed followed by a chorus of agreements, everyone headed for the door. Terra looked at her communicator one last time before her eyes fell on Danny.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up, and Danny, may I ask you something?"

Danny paused by the doorway and shrugged, "Sure, what's up?"

"How did the Titans earn your trust?"

Danny looked mildly embarrassed but he answered none the less, "Well, for starters they were persistent. They wouldn't leave me alone; they showed me time and again that they trusted me even when I didn't trust them." The halfa paused, thinking over his admission having only just now realized that this was the truth.

How many times did the Titans come to him, how many times did he show up and help and not once did they question which side he was on. They trusted him and more than that, they gave him back his ability to trust in return. Danny's heart burned and a peacefulness settled in his eyes.

Terra smiled, "So sometimes you have to place your trust in someone even at the risk of being hurt," she stated. Danny's glowing green eyes met hers. An unknown emotion hidden beneath them she couldn't quite place.

"Isn't that what we do every day?"

The air felt heavier, and Terra wasn't sure how she should answer that. So instead she smiled and decided to turn it into a joke.

"So got any secrets you'd like to trust me with?"

Danny's eyes lit up mischievously, "Just one." And two white rings split across his body and suddenly there stood a leanly built teenager with ice blue eyes and jet black hair. Terra was shell shocked, "whoa…"

The halfa gave a lighthearted laugh, "Now, race you to the waffles!"

Terra gave a startled yell and chased after him but paused in the door way, looking once more to the Titan Communicator resting in her hand, "I can't believe it. They actually trust me."

She pocketed the device and brushed her pale blonde hair out of her eye before flicking off the lights and tearing off down the hall.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	31. Interlude and a Halfa

_A small respite..._

Titans Phantom

Interlude and a Halfa

**Questionable Actions:**

"AHHHH!"

"Beastboy!"

Robin looked up from his work station which currently was the kitchen table in time to see the changeling burst through the doors and hurtle over the couch the same instant Danny raced in, his jet black hair covered in green jello and dripping down his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I thought you were Cyborg!" BB yelled standing behind the seat cushions like they were a fortress. Danny's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Then why was the bucket of ecto-goo above _my_ door?" he all but growled out. Beastboy visibly gulped. Oh, so not jello, Robin realized which was probably why the halfa hadn't phased it off of himself.

"It wasn't I swear, but you have to admit it's a good color on you."

"Rah!" Danny lunged, and Beastboy shrieked so high Robin found himself sitting back and enjoying the show.

He watched as his friend overshadowed the teen before standing up and brushing off the imaginary dust.

"There, I feel better," Danny said and Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Just don't throw him off a cliff."

The possessed teen gave an affronted huff, "You have no faith in me and…do you have a camera?" Danny asked smiling impishly.

"Why?"

"No reason I only wanted to sing a love song and profess my undying heart to Cyborg."

Robin couldn't stop the giddiness and excitement from that idea, and a mischievous smile starting to take him over, "I do, but I thought you were blaming Beastboy for this prank."

The changeling walked over to him, and Robin was already pulling out a high definition camera.

"Oh I am, but this is a two part vengeance plan."

"Well then, I guess we need to get started."

Beastboy didn't regain consciousness till two hours later. He woke up strangely in his room with no lacerations, multicolored skin or a blue tongue and no one seemed to be acting any differently, well except Danny and Robin who had locked themselves in the study. It scared him out of his wits but nothing happened throughout the day. _Nothing_. Beastboy was practically jumping off the walls in nervousness when dinner came around.

"Beastboy!"

"Huh? What?" he turned to look at an annoyed Raven who shoved seven plates in his arms.

"Either make yourself useful or get out of the kitchen," she hissed.

"Right."

Beastboy grabbed the plates and took them to the table and placed them by the box of pizzas while Raven grabbed the glasses and different liters of soda. Five minutes later the rest of the team was filing in. Cyborg sniffed the air, "Ah yeah man, in home pizza night!"

"I shall go and get the mustard!"

Terra chuckled and walked up to her green friend and smiled, "So what happened, we could hear Danny yelling at you through the whole Tower."

Beastboy turned scarlet, "Nothing! But uh, we're good now."

"Absolutely," Danny answered and Beastboy launched himself into Terra's arms trembling in fear.

Terra looked over to the halfa who was perfectly relaxed while he grabbed two plates of pizza one for him and the other for Robin as the boy wonder put in a DVD. The Titans all took their seats on the couch, and Robin hit play.

The lights dimmed and the show started with Beastboy on screen, the changeling on the couch felt his stomach bottom out.

The camera zoomed in and the changeling whirled around completely decked out in Shakespearian clothes complete with ruffles and a long pointy mustache with a feathery hat. He looked ridiculous. And did they even own those clothes?

"Oh my heart doth burnest with thy fiery passion that quells the mightiest flame!" It would have been beautiful if he didn't look so ridiculous and not talking in a cheesy British accent. All the Titans started smiling, their pizza getting cold but what happened next was so much worse.

"In tempest rage I must profess such disease with only one design, good sir, a beat!"

It jumped to a cut screen with Cyborg on the other side in his auto shop waxing the T-Car. All the Titans howled with laughter when Cy began swaying his hips, butt to them, and started beat boxing and Beastboy started to sing, it was a Barney remix. Oh God, the two Titans thought, kill them now.

"Oh, I love Cyborg. We're a happy couple in deed,"

"Bring it out!" Cy suddenly yelled jumping around and possessing for the hidden camera. Raven, Terra and Starfire were practically rolling on the ground while Robin and Danny were clutching their sides to keep their guts from busting.

"With great big hands and a kiss from me to you…."

"Ah, yeah!"

Beastboy and Cyborg were now beet red and trying to disappear into the floor.

"Won't you say I love us toooooooo!"

"Boo-yeah!" Cyborg landed in the splits and Beastboy bowed before the video cut out and the lights came on.

To this day neither Cyborg nor Beastboy ever considered pulling Danny or Robin into their pranks unintentionally unless they were prepared for a war.

And Beastboy couldn't look Terra in the eyes for half a week.

Also the DVD was never found by either blackmailed Titan.

**Alfred's Tale:**

Robin set atop the roof of Wayne Tower. The letters a glowing beacon in the darkness. It was a slow night, a routine patrol, and the boy wonder found himself wanting to return home. For when he closed his eyes he could see flashes of glass window panes, and the smell of delicious cooking wafting through the hall warming the chilled air. It made him think of the times when his mother would cook. Pangs of loneliness made his heart stutter and he caught his breath before opening his eyes to the city.

It was times like these that Robin hated. The moments when evil chose to stay in the shadows and not give him anything to fight. Because then it made it too easy for him to fall into the black abyss that was always pumping in his blood. It made him crave to see the light, to feel the sun, no…to be the sun.

Robin wanted to burn for something, for someone, for anyone.

Yet here he was alone on top of the Tower with the wind caressing his face in taunting. Turning slightly, the boy wonder could just make out the faint glow of Titan's Tower and suddenly Robin wanted to scream. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be in Gotham. By Batman's side, it was where he _belonged_. But vainly Robin realized that that could no longer be the case. Because the Dark Knight had a new partner, he had a new _light_.

It hurt too much to think, and Robin collapsed on the gravel feeling his heart tear. It wasn't fair, and it was stupid to be feeling this. Robin knew that, but his heart didn't seem to think so. All it was feeling was abandonment and betrayal at himself. And Bruce had promised he would always be here for him. Yet he wasn't, and it was Robin's own stupid pride that had made sure of it. And Bruce was so damn understanding, he just let him walk away.

Soft sobs filled the air to quiet to be heard by anyone but himself, he was so tired. Tired of always having his life ripped apart, tired of always having to look for a new home. Robin jolted when he heard soft feet land next to him.

"Robin?"

"Starfire," Robin answered, hastily getting up and carefully controlling his voice even though his throat felt too tight, like a big ball was being squeezed down his throat.

"You did not check in, is everything alright?" She asked her eyes wide and innocent. Robin gave a broken smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Star instantly shook her head. "You are not fine. Please, what is troubling you?"

"Nothing I just…" Robin looked over to where the Tower stood and he felt his stomach turn, it screwed up his face and his voice gave out.

"Robin?"

He looked back to her and took a shaky breath. "It's fine. I'm just a little homesick, that's all."

Star's eyes widened.

"Oh, then let us return to the Tower."

She reached for his wrist, but Robin took a step back. Unconsciously reaching for the shadows the big white sign cast.

"It's not that kind of home, Star."

Immediately Starfire's eyes darkened in understanding before softening into something Robin couldn't quite place, but it made his heart race.

"Then would you like to go visit it."

Robin chuckled, ignoring the bitterness tinting it, "I'm afraid that's a little bit unobtainable at the moment."

After all, he might be on temporary speaking terms with Batman at the moment but their issues were far from resolved. It didn't help that he could no long sleep peacefully in the Tower anymore. Because the second Bruce stepped into it, the beams and steel lost all comforts and safety of being his home. Because when Batman left he sucked all that in and took it away with him.

"Oh, I understand," Starfire answered casting her eyes downward startling Robin out of his thoughts. Looking at her, he could see the hurt and burning curiosity in those forest green eyes, but Starfire would keep her tongue. It made Robin's heart surge in gratitude, knowing that she was willing to let things lie. Maybe that was what drove him to tell her the story Alfred had once told him when he'd just moved into the mansion, and he was left stumbling around, trying to find his place in Bruce's life, and respectively his own.

"Would…would you like to hear a story my Grandpa told me?"

The light in Starfire's eyes could have drowned out the stars.

"Yes please, I would very much like to hear one!" she eagerly replied joining Robin on the edge of the newly renovated Tower. Strangely though, the new design made it look older while they hung their feet off the giant skyscraper. Vaguely Starfire wondered why it felt so safe up here, but it fled when Robin began to speak, his voice soft yet firm as he opened up only to her.

"_Once, in the dark lonely Forest there lived a big black bat._

_It lived in the darkness. Made up its essence but with the dark came the evil that spread_

_Like a curse._

_And the Bat watched helpless as it filled his home, consumed his land._

_'Till one day he chose to fight._

_Even when all others turned away. He faced those who prayed on the fearful._

_Turning fear back against the dark creatures and He swore to_

_Protect all the little light lives_

_That lived in the daylight of the Forest._

_Even if they feared him._

_Even when they hunted him._

_It was lonely._

_It was desolate._

_And it was hard—_

_But the Big Black Bat never turned away, embracing all the evil in his incorruptible ways._

_But if it twisted his wings: he never complained. If it drove out all the light: he never_

_cried out. If it broke his heart: he never sighed or whispered._

_Until one day flying through the Forest, injured and disused, the Bat came across a crying Robin._

_The little bird weeping for his parents had been taken away and he was left._

_Flightless._

_Homeless._

_Alone—_

_The lonely Bat landed softly on the tree where the little Robin perched_

_And opened his wings offering comfort, expecting all the while to be turned away and shunned by the light in this little bird. Yet something extraordinary happened._

_Instead of fleeing in fear the little Robin ran into those big black wings_

_And the Bat encompassed him in warm darkness._

_Together they flew back to the Bat's home inside the living Oak tree which cared for the two of them, it became the little bird's new home._

_And from then on the Big Black Bat wasn't alone anymore when he flew through the dark Forest._

_And the little Robin wasn't afraid of the dark._

_For why should he be afraid when the darkness gave him back his flight?_

_When he became the new little light in the Big Bat's Black heart."_

Robin finished his tale and smiled softly to himself. Remembering snuggling up next to Alfred's side while he read for him this small tale from a picture book. The blankets on the couch warming from the heat of the fire. He could still smell drying ink that colored the pages.

He then allowed himself to gaze over at Starfire whose eyes had gone wide, and her mouth hung open slightly in shock. Robin chuckled and that seemed to wake the girl.

"Robin, that was beautiful."

The Titan looked out over the darkened city that settled around everything, thick as a cape.

"Yeah."

He stood then allowing his muscles to stretch. The darkness in his heart dissipating. He hadn't completed the story. After all, it wasn't finished yet, and Robin found that he didn't mind. After all, Batman had a new little light in his life, but the wonderful thing about the Big Black Bat—as Alfred had fondly dubbed him— was that there was always room for different colors of lights to fill his wings.

"Let's go home."

Starfire nodded and Robin leapt off the building. It was as she watched her friend free fall and swing off one of the gargoyles did Starfire realize why she loved this building.

It was because there were plenty of nooks and crannies for a little bird to fly around in.

Across the states, the sunlight tried to peak in through the blackened curtains but it was all for naught. The Butler simply would not allow it. Quietly he set aside the small book with freshly inked pages and readjusted the blankets around the sleeping child before heading towards the door.

"Sleep well, little Jaybird."

**Shopping:**

It was rare for Raven to go shopping, rarer still for Raven to go shopping with Starfire. But here she was walking along side the Tamaranian who was chattering alongside her about anything and everything happy in life. Thank god, Terra had agreed to come along as well. Apparently canceling her plans with Beastboy in order to save Raven from the physical pain of being dragged into Claire's instead of Gothica.

"Oh, isn't this necklace adorable!" Starfire exclaimed, while Raven looked up from the semi-tolerable Hello Kitty section.

"That's a headband, Starfire."

The hurt look on the girl's face almost made Raven take it back. Especially when Terra nudged her in the side. Raven shot her a look, but Terra ignored her and picked up another headband.

"Well since it will make a pretty awesome necklace I think it's time we made it a new fashion trend."

And putting her goggles around her belt loop Terra slipped on the crocheted yellow and black head band around her neck. Starfire beamed, and Raven decided she might as well give Star this. She walked forward and picked out a dark blue one before walking up to the cash register to pay for them.

"Friend Raven, if you do not wish to buy one you need not to."

Raven wanted to sigh, since when had she become such a softie. Looking down at the blue headband, Raven tried to find a solution that would be beneficial to all their tastes. The solution came to her instantly, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I have a store that I think we would all like."

Starfire twirled in front of the three mirrors and giggled watching the sleeves of her kimono follow her movement, the green headband matching perfectly with the ensemble.

"Oh I feel like a dragon priestess on the Oceans of Temmli."

"I don't know where that is, but I completely agree," Terra said walking up in a beautiful Spanish dress the fiery colors making her dark blue eyes come alive.

"Hey Raven, you almost done in there?" Terra called.

"Almost!"

After a few moments Raven stepped out in a dark blue sari the headband around her neck, she looked stunning. They all did.

"Whoa."

"Glorious, I cannot believe I have never heard of this Earthbound before!" Starfire exclaimed looking around the largest trading company Raven had flown them too.

"I know and I've been across the entire U.S. thanks for taking us, Rae!"

Raven blushed but shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Now c'mon, we need shoes."

Five shoe stores, three jewelry stores, one pet shop, a bookstore, and a sports store later all three girls were walking down the streets of upper New York City with bags and boxes pilled high in their arms. All three of them shared a look before bursting out in giggles.

"Best day ever," Terra said.

"Truly glorious!"

Raven hummed in agreement, "So do you guys want to stop for lunch?"

"Yes, please!" Starfire exclaimed her bags teetering. Terra's face lit up.

"I know a place here, it's a dive, but the food is divine."

"We'll need to drop off our bags first," Raven stated unfortunately no such place existed till Terra pulled out her communicator and phoned Danny.

Five seconds later in a flash of green light Danny was there.

"Hey what do you guys need…whoa!" he yelped as bags upon bags were shoved into both his arms and balanced on one leg.

"Thank you so much, friend Danny, just put them in Terra's room, we'll sort them out later," Starfire called before flying off after Raven and Terra leaving behind a very confused halfa.

It turns out Terra had been right, the Italian food served at Luigi's in the run down back alley of west street was delicious. In fact, it was so good Starfire hadn't even needed mustard. After the five course meal the three girls stormed four other cities and each time they called Danny to come pick up their bags.

By the time they got back to the Tower they were met with the guys frantically searching the Tower for said halfa.

"What's going on?" Raven asked stepping forward, her sari sweeping across the ground.

"We can't find Danny!" BB shouted. Terra pulled out her communicator and tried calling him.

"It's been disconnected."

"Titans, split up and search!" Robin ordered.

One hour later Robin found Danny hiding in his closet fast asleep, completely exhausted. After all, who would dare think to look in Robin's room? Chuckling to himself, Robin kicked the teen awake who startled and jumped to his feet.

"Please tell me the girls are done shopping!" He begged.

"Is that the reason why you've been hiding?" Robin asked trying not to laugh. Danny glared and stomped all the way to Terra's room dragging along his friend. He pressed the button and moved out of the way as the door slid open.

"What the…" Robin leapt out of the way as boxes spilled out onto the floor.

"I hope for your sake you don't share a bank account with any of them because if so, you'll be getting a pretty hefty bill."

"What the heck did they buy?" Robin moaned ignoring the previous statement. Although he was slightly grateful they didn't share a bank account.

"I don't know, and I'm pretty sure some of those boxes growled at me."

Danny answered as the two headed back towards the living room where Starfire, Raven and Terra were doing a catwalk routine for Cyborg and Beastboy.

The Titans looked gorgeous and after watching the girls laugh and joke around. Danny found he could forgive them. Especially when Terra volunteered Beastboy to be their bus boy next trip. He and Robin howled with laughter when BB agreed having no idea what he'd just gotten himself into.

**How to avoid loved ones and make friends:**

"I Am The Box Ghost!"

"For the last time," Beastboy growled.

_"We don't care!"_ Both Cyborg and Robin yelled while Danny huffed in annoyance.

"Seriously, this is the sixth time we've fought you in one day. It's past redundant."

And bordering on masochistic, but none of the Titan guys wanted to say that because of the really awkward conversations that could arise because of it. But really, this was getting annoying.

"Uh…it does not matter if it is re-dun-dant for you will tremble before me for I am…"

_"Roar!"_

The Box Ghost screamed a high pitched girly note as the T-Rex stomped his foot angrily. Cyborg took the time to suck the ghost back in the Fenton Thermos before Beastboy broke his _'I'm a vegetarian'_ diet. Huh, if you ate a ghost did that make you cannibalistic or ghostalistic?

He passed the device over to Danny who looked as if her were contemplating putting it in a blender and hitting puree.

"Here, hopefully he stays in the Ghost Zone."

"Honestly, I have no idea how he manages to get out of the Zone so quickly," Danny growled, while Robin sighed in exasperation.

"I don't care if you dump him in the seventh circle of Hell, just get him out of here."

With this Danny disappeared and the Titans headed home. Five minutes later the guys were chilling by the TV while Danny tried hacking one of Robin's triple encrypted files for fun. Not that the boy wonder didn't know, but it was a part of a bet. Don't ask. It was a long story.

He was almost through the first code when the alarm went off.

"Titans, move!"

It was at a Toys R Us where they found the Box Ghost, yet again.

"Okay, that's it, you're going down!" Cyborg yelled dodging the boxed Barbie dolls the Box Ghost kept throwing at him.

"Haha, you will not catch me with my army of…" he paused and looked at a box, "The newest collection of Sapphire Barbie of Doom!" The ghost yelled waving his arms above his head.

Robin hit him in the back of the head with a glowing green batarang while Danny sucked him back into the thermos this time the halfa was livid.

"Hey Robin, do you have a foam polymer that will prevent me from damaging the release switch on the Thermos."

"Sure," Robin stated before handing the teen a small capsule and curiously watched as Danny placed it on the thermos. Danny looked at his handy work then whirled around and slammed the thermos into one of the counters.

"Why,"

_Clang!_

"Can't you,"

_Clang!_

"Leave,"

_Clang!_

"Us,"

_CLANG!_

"Alone!"

_Clang, clang!_

Robin, Beastboy and Cyborg's jaws hit the floor in shock before BB stepped forward and grinned.

"Mind if I borrow it?"

Danny handed it over as the guys walked out to the parking lot.

"Yo! Cyborg, go long!"

Cy ran to the other side of the lot while Beastboy threw it like a foot ball. The guys stayed in the parking lot playing thermos ball for an hour before Danny all but threw the Box Ghost back into the Ghost Zone.

Two hours later Danny had gotten past the second encryption code with Robin breathing down his back.

"You know this shouldn't be that hard," he stated.

Danny's eyebrow twitched, "Oh, shut up, we all aren't gifted in the art of hacking like you are, and I'm trying to finish this before my time runs out at midnight."

Cyborg actually giggled, "I don't know man, dressing you up like Zero Kiryuu and sending you to the anime convention seems like an unavoidable future."

That was the bet. If Danny couldn't open these files, he would have to dress up as an anime character who just so happened to share his hair color of ghost white and go to the convention for a day.

"Think of all the fan girls," Robin said smirking. Danny growled, yeah, the fan girls and probably guys who would demand pictures and more than likely rip his clothes off of him that really sounded like fun.

"It's practically rape," Danny all but growled, "Especially since you guys won't let me use my powers to escape."

"Dude? Why would you want to escape?" Beastboy whined flipping over on the couch. Danny shot him a look, and the alarm went off.

"Oh, come on!"

"Titans, go!"

The break in was at the largest farmers market in Jump City.

"I am the Box Ghost!"

"Not you again," BB groaned, while Danny all but glared.

"I swear if you make me loose this bet I really will find a way to send you to Hell."

The Box Ghost momentarily looked frightened, but soon his normal flare returned and it wasn't long before two carts of bananas, four orange crates and a couple of cabbage stands were destroyed before the Fenton Thermos trapped the ghost again.

By the time the four teens returned to the Tower it appeared the girls had come home from seeing the Broadway musical Wicked. They walked in right as Terra was playing Glenda and she was currently trying to get Raven to wear a gaudy black witch hat while Starfire encouraged it. The girls looked up when the guys all but crashed on the couch.

"Friends, you have returned…and, are you alright?" Starfire asked floating up to them. The guys let out a moan and Danny half heartedly tried to continue breaking the encrypted files. He hadn't even touched the keyboard before the alarm went off.

"Titans, we need to go," Robin rolled up into a standing position, and the guys followed him out while the girls all gave each other curious looks before chasing after them.

This time the Box Ghost was attacking a Babies R Us. The blue ghost turned around to see all seven Titans getting into position when Beastboy had enough and collapsed on the ground a pout on his face.

"Oh, forget it I'm done with you."

Cyborg, Danny and Robin looked at him before they all crashed on the bean bag cushions in one of the aisles. The girls were left shell shocked, and the Box Ghost looked horror stricken.

"No, I am the Box Ghost. You must fight me or face my infinite wrath of Doom!"

Robin rolled his eyes and pulled out his new holographic computer, once he finished it that is.

"Sorry but no, we're done here, and Danny you only have about four hours to go before you lose."

"Don't remind me," the halfa muttered pulling out a paper thin computer and flicking it on.

"Um…friends?" Starfire asked touching down, Raven and Terra joining her, "should we not be fighting this blue ghost of terror?"

"Doom!" Box Ghost corrected, but no one paid him any mind.

"Not at all, yo BB there's a gaming station over here," Cyborg chimed since the store was closed right now.

"Sweet," BB repositioned himself, and the girls all crowded around to watch. The Box Ghost was about to have a panic attack.

"Please, you must fight me! Or at least entrap me in the Thermos for the night!"

"Why? You'll just escape from the Zone again," Danny added before a light switch clicked on in his head.

"Wait…you want to be captured in the Thermos and not go back to the Ghost Zone, why?"

This now had the Teen Titans undivided attention, and the Box Ghost began to shift nervously in the air.

"Ummm…beware!" He tried to high tail it out of there but Raven stopped him with her magic.

"I don't think so," she pulled him down to their eye level since none of them particularly wanted to get up.

The Box Ghost gave an indignant huff and tried to play it cool, "Foolish human you have nothing to frighten me with."

Terra's eyes went gold and a large flat rock decided to hover over his head, "Oh really? Unless you want to be called the Flat Ghost you better start talking."

She let it fall three inches and the Box Ghost caved.

"I wish to avoid my wife!"

"What?!"

All of the Titans screamed completely dumbstruck, only Danny had visibly paled.

"Oh no, don't tell me you and the Lunch Lady got hitched and now…" he trailed off but the Box Ghost unfortunately kept talking.

"My perfect Little Crate is pregnant, and I do not know what to do. She has all but banned me from the kitchen and won't let me dust my boxes, and she sends me out for the most ridiculous of things. I am at a loss, and I beg of your help please…Beware!" He added rather pathetically at the end.

The entire group sat in silence for a minute the guys at a loss and pity and a little grossed out while the girls were steadily getting pissed off.

"Please, you did not try to comfort her?" Starfire asked.

"Um…no."

"Or Heaven forbid actually go along with her ridiculous requests," Raven spoke softly her voice sharp as a razor.

"But, she burst out crying when she looked at our tree in the front yard saying that it needed to be greener, have you not seen the Ghost Zone?"

"Did you give her a foot rub?" Terra asked knowing that it really helped especially once the pregnant woman couldn't even see her toes anymore.

"Why would I do that?" The Box Ghost stuttered looking terrified, and in truth so did the other four guys in the room, was this what they had to look forward to in life? Lord save them now.

The three girls shared demonic looks before Terra got up and bodily dragged the Box Ghost forward until he was nose to nose with her, her eyes burning gold.

"Alright here's what you're going to do: one, you are going home to your wife who very much needs you right now even if she does decide to throw things at you.

Two, you will follow her crazy requests because that's called being a good husband and your wife is having what's called cravings, _look it up._

And Three, you will give her a foot rub, and here's a bonus if you don't want to get kicked out of the house I suggest you come up with some baby names and propose them to her, very sweetly. Got it?"

"Got it," The Box Ghost managed to get out, he looked a sickly shade of green.

Terra smiled sweetly which in no way made her look sweeter. "Good, carry on."

And Raven let her magical energy drop, and the Box Ghost zoomed away but before he phased out Danny felt he should at least give the guy some help.

"Hey, Box Ghost."

Said ghost turned around mid flight, and Danny had to force himself not to wince at this next part, "um, about the name I think…Boxed Lunch might be good."

The Box Ghost beamed at him, and even though Danny managed not to flinch, it didn't mean the other team members didn't.

"That is a perfect name for my little daughter of Doom. Thank you friend, Beware!" He screamed before disappearing.

Beastboy scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, "Whoa, he sure bounces back fast."

"Yeah, gotta give the dude credit. I thought he was gonna die a second time with how scared he was," Cyborg stated, and all of the team burst out laughing.

"Man, Terra, where did you learn about that foot stuff?"

Terra smiled, "I had a neighbor once who was having a kid. I regularly helped around her house and learned a pretty quick fix in any situation is a good massage."

Robin stood up and stretched, "Well then I guess we can go home now."

As the team was walking out the door Cyborg swung his arms around Beastboy's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "For future reference, don't piss off your girlfriend."

"Dude, she's not my girlfriend!" He yelled. Danny having heard him, turned around.

"Awww…you know they say denial is the first step towards entrapment." Danny fakely cooed.

Beastboy turned beet red and Robin smirked, "Yeah Beastboy, and think, after the marriage you'll get an extra ball and chain when you have little earth movers demanding for piggy back rides, literally."

The three Titans had to avoid sharp claws for the whole run home while the girls chatted happily on about the joys of Wicked and the concept of making up words.

And in the end, it was two minutes to midnight when Danny finally cracked the last encryption. He let out a whoop and jumped in his seat before he realized he was alone in the living room. Curious as to what was actually in the file, but knowing he shouldn't, Danny clicked it open. What was in it was…shocking. Nothing bad or inappropriate, just strange. Robin opened the living room door and stepped in.

"Midnight so do you want real earrings or fake ones?" he paused when Danny looked at him with one raised eyebrow.

"Um, Robin, not that it's my place or anything, but do you like older women?"

"No, why?" Robin answered the corners of his mouth started quirking upwards.

Danny turned back to the screen, "Then why are your triple encrypted files pictures of Catwoman?"

Robin nearly collapsed on the floor in laughter, and Danny realized suddenly and with a great sense of dread that these files didn't belong to Robin.

"You didn't …" he trailed off.

"Oh, I can't wait to tell my little brother about this."

Danny made sure to walk in the sunlight for three weeks.

**Hanging Out:**

Today had been a good day. Well if he were being totally honest, Dick Grayson was having a great day. Because today had been the day Bruce Wayne officially adopted one Jason Todd. So in celebration of that Dick had come home to spend the day with his family. After he made sure the Titans knew he was going, they didn't know where, but at least they wouldn't freak out.

The adoption hadn't been announced yet of course. Although the hell hound reporters in Gotham would find out soon enough. But tonight it had just been him, Jason, Bruce and Alfred spending the day together. That is, until half the League showed up on the manors doorstep. Jason suspects Alfred had something to do with it, but none of them, not even Batman could prove it.

And while Dick and Jason were still on shaky terms with the whole, _'we're brothers now,'_ one thing they absolutely agreed on was avoiding the League at all times. Especially when Bruce's mouth had this one little down turned corner that promised pain for anyone who entered his sanctuary without his permission. Even if Alfred ordered that he be good, the two new brothers weren't going to take that chance. So now here they sat up on the highest point in Wayne manner, in a narrow space not even Superman would try to reach.

The sun began to color the sky in blood and streaks of midnight purple. It was truly a sight to behold. Jason kicked his feet off the edge of the rock.

"I thought since this was my party, I got to invite the guests."

"First rule you need to learn, Alfred's word is law," Dick replied.

Jason snorted and his mouth kicked up in a smile, "Oh, don't worry I figured that out the second I met him."

"I think he's just trying to get Bruce to be social."

This time the two burst out laughing.

"I don't think that's possible," Jason snickered.

"You're absolutely right."

Both teens jumped and swiveled around to see their mentor crouching down on another part of the roof. If he was uncomfortable— which he undoubtedly was—he didn't show it.

"Um, Bruce, shouldn't you be entertaining the League or the ones who at least know your secret identity?" Dick stated. The two boys moved aside so their mentor could join them in the already cramped space.

"They noticed Jason was gone, and since it's his party," he gave a pointed look at the boy, but the kid looked absolutely unrepentant. "I snuck away to come find you. Now let's go to the cave before Alfred finds us."

"Or he sics Superman on us," Jason added while all three leapt onto the lower stones of the manor until they hit the grass and headed to the back entrance of the cave.

The three of them were suited up and while Bruce was on the computer looking over case files, Dick and Jason took the time to stretch.

"So when are you heading back?" Jason asked flipping easily, his movement controlled and precise.

"In about an hour, once we're in the city. Danny's coming to pick me up."

"You mean that Phantom kid?"

"Yeah," Dick did a double flip allowing his movements to blend together with fluid grace.

"Remember the rules though," Bruce spoke moving away from the computer, reaching for his cape and cowl.

Dick rolled his eyes and put on his black mask, "I know he's only teleporting in and out."

Cowl in place Batman nodded and Jason pulled on his dark green mask.

"Let's go."

Once at the car did the two teens realize the problem, there were only two seats. One for Batman and the other…they dived.

"Ouch! Move over!"

"You move over. I'm older, you can sit on my lap," Robin teased.

"No way in hell! And you're only three years older than me!" The younger Robin screamed back.

"Really? I thought you were eleven."

"Twelve!" Jason roared as he elbowed the other Robin in his ribs. Dick jammed him into the window with his hips in retribution while the tween let out a stream of profanities.

"Alfred's going to wash your mouth out with soap if you keep…ouch, Batman, he bit me!"

"Yeah, go whine to Batman."

_"You bit me."_ Dick yelled waving his arm around in the air for emphasis it nearly colliding with the back of Batman's cowl.

"Enough, put your seat belts on and alternate where you sit," Batman growled the corner of his lip downturned. Both Robins shut up and complied. And as they raced down the widening streets of Gotham, Bruce let a small smile grace his lips as he heard the two boys bickering back in forth. It had been so long since he'd seen Dick act like his natural self. Even if it was only because he kept antagonizing Jason, but the younger Robin couldn't quite get the smile off his face so Bruce figured he was enjoying himself.

"You know, you really ought to think about all the awful things I could say about your name, Di…"

"Robin," Batman snapped shutting the younger Robin up while the older one blushed tomato red.

An hour later the three were standing on the gargoyles of the chapel. The dark rain filled smog buffeting in the wind. Robin looked at his computer screen and pressed the call button on his communicator.

"Phantom will be here momentarily."

Batman remained stoic looking out across the city. But the teen noticed the younger Robin shift anxiously on his feet before he punched Dick in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?"

"For annoying me," Jason said not looking at his brother. Dick smiled and ruffled the kids messy dark brown hair, only in Gotham did it look liquid black.

"I'll come back and visit."

"You better."

With this Robin couldn't help but smile and he stepped off the edge of the building, startling both of the Dynamic Duo.

"Robin!" Both yelled but the next instant Robin appeared, Phantom holding him up with an arm around his shoulder.

Robin laughed breezily. Not at all scared of the dark looks he was receiving.

"Of course," he said.

And in a flash of green light the two Titans disappeared.

Robin turned towards his mentor now father and raised one green masked eyebrow.

"Is he always a showoff?"

"And you're not?" Batman asked although it came out a statement.

Jason smirked, "I prefer stuntman."

If it were anyone else they would have snorted in amusement, but the bat signal flared to life.

"Let's go."

The two leapt off the building.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

Inspiration for writing these pieces:

**Alfred's Tale: **

Author: ProtectorKorii

Story: Of Flying Robins

Chapter: Cure for the Cold

**How to Make Friends and Avoid Loved Ones:**

Author: Danielle the Hanyo

Story: Letting Off Steam

Author: ProtectorKorii

Story: Of Flying Robins

Chapter: Hacker

**Artwork on Deviantart:**

Artist: The-BlackCat

Artwork: The Cabbage Patch

~Rin


	32. Chapter 24: Winner Loses All

_We're old friends... _

"_It's the only thing that matters."_

_~Grayson_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 24: Winner Loses All

Terra and Danny were sparring in the training room getting a feel for each other's powers. It didn't hurt till Danny took a rock to the stomach and groaned.

"Man, that's worse than getting hit with an ecto-blast."

At this Terra dropped her stance in worry, "What, oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Are you alright?" She took a step forward, and Danny swiped her legs out from underneath her.

"Ow, hey!"

Danny smirked and extended a hand, helping her up. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. C'mon, let's go find the others."

Terra looked over to him as they walked down the halls, "So about earlier,"

"Hmm...oh yeah, your aura that surrounds the rocks really does the damage. My only guess is that our powers are probably opposite which is why I'll try and stay on your good side."

Terra smiled, "And I on yours, so if we're opposites I wonder what else I can do?"

Neither had a chance to reply before they heard Robin yell, demanding a rematch. They opened the doors and stepped into the living room.

"What's going on?"

Beastboy looked over to them in awe, "Cyborg had the meteor card. The one in a million card that beats all others. It was truly beautiful."

Robin was still grumbling, "Beastboy, give me your cards."

"Wha…"

Cy smirked, "C'mon Rob, winning isn't everything."

"Yes, please you fought valiantly," Starfire replied gloomily at having lost.

"Yeah, winning is just the only thing that matters," Robin answered reaching over for BB's cards when all the guys suddenly disappeared in a flash of light and a resounding boom that shook the Tower leaving the girls alone in the living room. Star looked over to Raven in confusion.

"Um, this is a part of the game?"

"Ugh…"

* * *

><p>Danny, Robin, Cyborg and Beastboy landed in a massive chamber room. A pedestal in the center, and in another flash, five other heroes all appeared, one Danny instantly recognized. But all of the young heroes looked up when a man appeared on the pedestal a red jewel on his fur chest. The Master smirked and opened his arms.<p>

"Welcome champions all, I am the Master of Games, and you are herby invited to compete in the tournament of heroes."

The halfa instantly felt wary, and Danny stepped forward his muscles tensing, "And what is this tournament of heroes?"

The Game Master inclined his head to meet Danny's eyes, "The tournament of heroes is a friendly competition between the world's greatest young champions." In a flash all of the teens were being displayed in action for everyone to see.

"Robin, the boy wonder, the combat equipped, kung fu trained, one man army. Hotspot, a human flame thrower with a fiery temper to match. Cyborg, the high tech teen fighting machine. Aqualad, a water breathing telepath with mastery over surf and sea. Wilderbeast, four hundred pounds of heroic fury. Gizmo, the nasty little boy with the really big brain. Beastboy, a quick witted changeling who can turn into any animal. Danny Phantom, the dead teen with untold powers. Speedy, the agile archer with an unstoppable arsenal of energy arrows, and Wulf, the ghost dog with an animalistic personality.

Ten brave and worthy champions but only one shall win."

This caught Beastboy's attention. "So does the winner get some kind of really cool prize, like say I don't know…a moped?!" he asked excitedly while starting to day dream of girls chasing after him and his French get up.

The Game Master smirked, "I have no moped shape shifter. But rest assured when the tournament is complete there will be magnificent prizes."

Danny felt his uncertainty turn into foreboding. But looking around the room he noticed none of the other heroes or his friends seemed concerned so he shoved aside his doubts and looked back to the Game Master.

"And of course the winner shall prove that he is the greatest young hero on Earth. However, any who do not wish to participate need only say the word and I shall return you home at once." He said the gem around his neck flashing brightly while the group conversed quietly on the floor.

"I think we're all in," Robin answered for everyone, the Game Master nodded.

"The challenge is accepted, the tournament begins, prepare for combat!" he roared and in a flash of light he was gone leaving the superheroes alone. Beastboy immediately walked up to Aqualad while Cyborg rounded on Gizmo, "Hey what's he doing here? He's no hero. I thought this was a tournament of…"

"What's the matter, robo-wimp? Afraid I'll kick your stinking can!"

Cyborg got down to the tike's level, and the two growled at each other. While Hotspot and Aqualad circled each other, Beastboy shifted nervously away from Wilderbeast and Robin and Speedy shook hands hitting it off like fast friends talking easily about quantum entanglement that Danny drowned out on matter of principal. The halfa rolled his eyes before floating over to Wulf who kept looking around the room, his eyes and ears perked for any danger.

"_Don't worry, I can vouch for most of the people here, you're safe,"_ Danny spoke in perfect Esperanto.

Wulf considered Danny for a moment before pulling the halfa in for a bone crushing hug and licked his face.

"_Thank you, my friend!"_ Wulf replied back his voice growling deeply making Danny's bones rattle. The halfa smiled and scratched the fur behind one ear, and Wulf gave an appreciative growl. It had been a long time since Danny had last seen Wulf. He'd forgotten how much his ghost friend acted like an animal. Granted, a really smart one who could speak Esperanto and wore tattered sweatpants and a hoodie, who you absolutely did not want to piss off. Wilderbeast, observing the two gave an affronted huff, but shied away at the snarl ripped out of Wulf's chest. Oh yeah, Danny had also forgotten how defensive he could be, but that also made him loyal to the point where… _"Wulf, I can't breathe. Still a halfa."_

The ghost animal let the teen go. But instead of setting Danny down he set him on one of his broad furry shoulders so they could look around the room.

"_I do not like, smells wrong."_

"_As in we're in danger or does Wilderbeast just stink?"_

Wulf let out a laugh that sounded a little like a bark, _"Both."_

"_How did you get picked for this Tournament anyways?"_ Danny asked, and he watched Wulf's ears flatten to his black head.

"_I was running__. S__tumbled across path to world looking for you, and then suddenly Wulf was here."_

"_You were near the Tower?"_

"_Yes. Tracked scent, made portal."_

"_Random selection,"_ Danny answered thinking over what the Game Master had said.

"_Friend?"_ Wulf asked but Danny was deep in thought. For if he thought of only the heroes, it appeared to be a competition. But then why Gizmo? He wasn't a hero, but if Danny looked at the kid like a chess piece, as merely an object with a set of moves and abilities then he would face off perfectly against Cyborg. In fact, Gizmo was the only person Danny knew of that could get the jump on Cy…some of the time.

For Aqualad it would be Hotspot or Speedy with his energy arrows or even Robin. For Beastboy, Wulf or Wilderbeast. For Hotspot, Aqualad, Robin or Danny himself. And for Robin, Speedy was the obvious choice, but next in line would be him or Cyborg. And then there was Wulf, the only ghost in the room, and if what the ghost animal said was true, then he had been picked at random. It was pure luck he happened to be an ally. It was a chess game. Danny felt fear punch low in his gut.

"_Wulf, I think we're in trouble," _Danny answered lowly. His Esperanto coming out nothing more than a hiss, and the ghost animal truly let out a snarl, claws extending dangerously, sharp and glowing green startling the other heroes.

"Danny, what's…" But Robin never finished before the Game Masters voice cut in.

"Champions round one, face your opponents!" And in a flash all of the teens were transported to different battlefields.

* * *

><p>Cyborg and Gizmo landed in a field of floating disks. Beastboy and Wilderbeast were trapped in a giant cage suspended in the air. Speedy and Aqualad dropped into a giant ocean, the archer landing on small stepping stones scattered around the water like a checker board. Robin and Hotspot ended up in a closed off tunnel and Danny and Wulf found themselves in a massive graveyard.<p>

"Let the contest begin!"

Danny and Wulf charged at each other.

"_We need to figure out what he's planning."_

Wulf swiped at him, and Danny was forced to raise his shield.

"_I lose, go snitch around, find you later."_

Danny smiled, _"It's snoop around. Are you sure?"_

Wulf dodged an ecto-blast by moving behind an twelve foot tall grave stone.

"_I am sure, friend."_

Danny rounded the corner and met only air. The shadows moved and erupted in feral howls before the halfa took flight, and the two ghosts wrapped around the stone cross, an open grave beneath them.

* * *

><p>Cyborg gave Gizmo the boot, literally. Before he ripped off the little guy's computer system strapped to his back leaving the kid pouting on the floor before he disappeared in a flash of light, and Cy was announced the winner. The Titan felt his skin crawl, something wasn't right.<p>

Speedy tried to break away from Aqualad who had his head in his hands, water beginning to surround him in a last ditch effort, the archer pulled out a freeze arrow and stuck it in the water behind the hero. It froze Aqualad in place before he disappeared.

Robin finished pounding Hotspot into the ground and was declared the winner, and Beastboy lost when the cage could no longer support his weight as a T-Rex. And when Danny hit Wulf in the chest with an ecto-blast causing the animal to fall into the grave and not get up, he was declared the winner before disappearing into the light.

Danny reappeared in the vast hall the other winners with him, he looked over to Robin who grinned.

"Cyborg, Danny, alright you won."

"But Beastboy didn't," Cyborg stated worrying about the little grass stain. Wilderbeast gave a huff and Speedy stepped away from the hero.

The Game Master appeared on the tall pedestal and smiled down at them all, "Well played young champions you have survived round one."

All of the heroes backs immediately stiffened. Their eyes became sharper, and Danny felt fear make his stomach clench because he'd asked Wulf to lose.

"What do you mean?" the halfa growled his aura flaring dangerously as Robin stepped forward equally pissed.

"Survived, what happed to the losers?!"

"Yeah, where's our friend!" Cy yelled up to the man who held up his palms in surrender.

"Peace heroes, survived is merely an expression. Beastboy and the other losers have been returned home safely."

Danny didn't feel reassured in the slightest, but he backed off as the other heroes began to relax.

"But think not of the vanquished," the Game Master continued. "My champions, now you must rest for tomorrow you face round two." And in a flash he transported the five winners to their rooms leaving him alone in the great hall a malicious smirk on his face.

"Oh what a marvelous game,l. No matter who is victorious, I win all the prizes," the gem lit up and the voices of all the losers could be heard screaming from inside the prison.

Danny waited till around two o'clock before he couldn't take it anymore. He hadn't heard from Wulf and the uneasiness in his stomach wouldn't go away. The teen was leaving his room when a tear in the fabric of dimensions appeared, and Wulf fell through, trembling slightly.

"_Wulf, what happened?"_

Danny ran up to the animal who collapsed on the floor while the halfa ran his hands through the fur on Wulf's head, looking him over trying to access his injuries.

Wulf whimpered and curled in on himself. His tail wrapping around his body, and he plopped his head in Danny's lap. The halfa pushed back the awkwardness at having a four hundred pound ghost dog trying to act like a tea cup poodle and settled for scratching behind one of the great black ears. Seconds slipped by and finally Wulf began to growl out his answer.

"_Taken somewhere, powers hard to use. Couldn't free the others, so red…"_ The animal trembled and Danny patted his head in comfort, mortified that he'd put Wulf through this.

"_It's alright__.__ I'll go get Cyborg and Robin, we'll figure this out. Is there anything else you can remember? Anything you saw?"_

Slowly Wulf opened his eyes and sat up, his muzzle scrunching as he thought.

"_Saw the hall with winners, then just hall."_

"_So the Game Master is behind this, but you weren't there unless…the gem!"_ Danny exclaimed and he quickly stood up and headed for the door, Wulf right behind him.

The two rounded the corner and nearly barreled into Cyborg who was grumbling unhappily.

"Danny and…I thought you lost?" Cyborg asked in astonishment when he looked over to Wulf who was almost recovered.

"It's a trap, the Game Master is using us, he didn't send the losers home. Wulf came back to warn us, where's Robin?"

Cyborg grumbled, "You mean that crazy, paranoid, hyper-competitive, spiky haired little jerk? He didn't believe me when I said something weird was going on."

Danny stared, "…Um, okay well we need to…"

Wulf suddenly stiffened before grabbing both teens and dragging them around the corner motioning for the two to shut up. It was then they heard the tell tale click, click, click of mechanical claws while a shadow passed across the wall.

"Wasn't that Gizmo?" Danny whispered.

Cy gave a nod and disconnected his hand and watched it scurry off. Following after the shadow while Cyborg tapped his arm to receive the feed from his finger camera. Wulf leaned in and sniffed him, his green eyes went a little screwy and he snorted. Danny gave him a strange look, so the ghost animal decided to tell him.

"_Blue teen is weird, acts like old friend, one with hand held device. Smells the same too, oil and meat. Strange smell," _Wulf commented, and Danny cackled trying to stifle his laughter. Cy gave the two odd looks, when his camera pinpointed Gizmo in the Great Hall, and he focused in on it. Only it wasn't Gizmo, and the teens' eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw who it really was.

"The Game Master!" Cyborg exclaimed watching as the man created a flame in his palms before it transformed into water then Beastboy's green gorilla arms.

The Master of Games grinned, "Now that the vanquished are in my possession their powers are mine to command! I can scarcely wait to see what I win in round two."

"There's not going to be a round two," Cyborg growled glaring. The Master turned and was met with the three of them and his eyes went wide in shock when he looked at Wulf.

"How did you escape?"

Wulf growled and spoke rapidly in some language that the Master didn't know.

"Enough. I do not know how you got out but rest assured it won't be for long."

"I doubt that," Danny said his eyes blazing. "This game is over."

"The game is never over, young champions, but I'm afraid all of you are disqualified!" he yelled and the Master attacked sending fire blazing towards them. Danny threw up a wall of ice, and Cyborg jumped, sliding across the frozen surface taking aim with his sonic canon and firing. Wulf flanked him, and Danny prepared to charge when the Game Master spun quickly and strange white light hit Wulf straight in his chest.

The ghost animal howled in pain then suddenly he was gone, freezing both Titans.

"What did you do to him?" Danny yelled whirling around to look at the Master who smirked maliciously.

"I sent him someplace he won't escape from ever again."

Cyborg let out a roar, and he charged releasing his sonic canon in a solid blast, and Danny felt his eyes widen in horror when the Game Master merely laughed and red energy swirled out from the gem to wrap around the hero.

"Cyborg!" Danny flew forward, towards the Master trying to get to the gem before it sucked him in. He raised his fist preparing to punch the man when the swirling energy branched off, too quick for him to follow and snaked around him.

The halfa screamed feeling the burning drain of his powers and both teens were sucked into the gem. The Game Master touched back down onto the floor and returned to normal, the heavy gem coming back to rest on his chest. He smiled and raised up one arm.

"Never challenge the Master, I always win," he gloated and his arm transformed into the familiar blue metal, and he opened his palm where ecto-energy sat hovering above it.

* * *

><p>Robin punched the air feeling his muscles stretch, while Wilderbeast stood beside him calmly breathing. Both heroes turned when they heard light footsteps, and Speedy appeared.<p>

"Good luck today, may the best man win."

Wilderbeast crossed his arms and pointedly turned away leaving the archer backtracking, "Sorry, may the best champion win."

To this the animal hero nodded.

"Right back at you, Speedy. Where's Cyborg and Danny? It's not like them to be late," Robin questioned doing a sweep of the room.

"Cyborg and Danny will not be joining us. Your friends have been disqualified for attempting to sabotage their fellow champions."

Robin felt his senses shift suspiciously. He knew Cyborg might try something like that but not Danny. The boy wonder took a step forward gazing intently at the Master, his mind pushing past this competition because if Danny had followed after Cyborg, it meant that they must have been looking for Beastboy and investigating. Robin was prepared to start hammering the Game Master for answers when he raised his arms to the sky and his gem began to glow.

"And with only three champions remaining, we shall proceed directly to the final round," he announced and in a flash all three heroes were transported to a battle field, the Game Masters voice echoing all around them.

"Speedy vs. Wilderbeast vs. Robin. In a three man fight to the finish."

The group landed on an asteroid, a moon directly below them. Robin took this all in within seconds, but he didn't have time for it. The boy wonder charged at Wilderbeast, he had to win in order to get back to the hall and figure out what was going on. He leapt and the fight began.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Danny, wake up."<p>

Danny gave a groan and rolled over not at all loving the voice currently trying to wake him up.

"Go away," he mumbled, and the voice growled.

"How the hell can you be sleeping? Wake up or else I'll dump Beastboy's smelly old tofu on you."

"Hey!" another voice yelled indignantly further away. However, this threat did manage to get the halfa to open his eyes and as soon as he did, where they were caught up with him and instantly he was awake.

Danny sat up and rubbed his head, "Ouch."

Cyborg snorted in his cell, and this time the halfa took the time to take in his surroundings. He was in a cell about six by eight feet wide, a dirt floor beneath him, surrounded by stone walls. But when he looked up all he saw was the cut red crystal of the Game Master's gem. Translucent enough to where he could make out the Great Hall and looking around he could see the other heroes and Gizmo all in cells just like his. Directly across from his prison was Cyborg who currently was picking the lock set.

"Give it up, dofus brain, I've already tried," Gizmo snapped.

"Did you try this?" And Danny turned intangible and stepped through the bars, he felt off balance and his head spun a little but the halfa managed to stumble over to Cyborg and start working on the lock as well.

"No fair!" Gizmo screamed.

"What's his problem?" Danny asked while he put pressure on one of the lock pins.

"Dude's tech isn't working. My guess is because it's not built into his body."

"That wouldn't have stopped Robin," Danny answered, and Cyborg smirked.

"Well duh, that's because Rob's on a completely different level than two pint."

The lock gave a groan, and Danny growled, "How can this lock be six cylinders? It makes no sense."

Cy agreed, "I think it has two false gates as well."

Beastboy who was sitting in a nearby cell tilted his head to the side.

"Why don't you just phase Cyborg out of the cell?"

"Takes up to much energy right now."

The changeling nodded in understanding and let the two get back to work. When Wilderbeast appeared in another cell, the heroes plus Gizmo all groaned, and Danny and Cyborg started working faster.

* * *

><p>The asteroid cracked, fissures made the rock crumble, and even though Robin knew he needed to win in order to figure out what was going on he still felt his blood begin to boil from the competition.<p>

Speedy smirked, "May the best man win."

Robin grinned impishly, "I intend too."

And soon both of them were falling towards the moon. Speedy firing a grapple arrow, swinging up to balance on a rock, looking for his opponent who was leaping across the still falling debris like it was all stationary.

Speedy leapt and fired, driving Robin back on the rock until the teen fell off of it. Reacting on instinct, the Titan pulled out his grapple gun and wrapped it around the archer pulling them into a midair fight. They were heading for a crater in the moon, but it didn't slow them down as they crashed into the ground, dust flying up and around them both.

Robin charged with his bo staff, and soon Speedy blocked the attacks with his bow pushing back the Titan.

"Just a friendly competition, huh?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, should be fun," Robin answered. Speedy raised one masked eyebrow.

"Right, because winning isn't everything."

"It's just the only thing that matters."

The two broke apart and Robin effortlessly dodged arrows being drawn quick as bullets, tricking the heat seekers and countering with his own explosive disks. They were evenly matched and both weren't aware of the fight turning savage with their desires to win. When Robin charged again, all he saw was an enemy and with a planned leap he snapped Speedy's bow causing the teen to crash into the rocky surface of the moon.

"My bow!" he looked up to a smirking Robin.

"You lose."

It was then Speedy realized truly how far they'd fallen. "But, was it really worth it?" he asked and before the flash of light took him. He saw the realization and horror cross the boy wonder's face.

* * *

><p>Danny had managed to free Cyborg when an empty cell opened, and Speedy appeared in it, both Titans sprang forward before the cell door could lock, Cy grabbed it and pushed it back as Danny darted in and dragged out a still disoriented Speedy.<p>

The hero shook his head and looked around. "Where are we and…why is my bow fixed?" he asked looking down to his weapon and fully restocked arrows.

"The Game Master probably fixed it so he can use you powers. Now come on, we need to get the others out," Danny explained quickly helping the archer up when Robin's voice reverberated around them and looking up to the ceiling the halfa saw Robin standing in the Great Hall gazing up warily at the Game Master.

"Well done, champion of champions, victory is yours."

"Guess I'm supposed to get some sort of prizes now?"

Danny heard Cyborg snort. "Rob doesn't care for prizes, he just likes winning," he said his voice filled with knowing exasperation, if that was possible.

They watched as the Game Master drew closer to Robin, and Danny tensed at the danger his friend was in.

"I did say there would be prizes, young champion, I did not say they were for you."

This close Danny could see that Robin had to look up to meet the Game Master's eyes. Robin's entire demur changed as he glared up at the man.

"What are you talking about?"

And all the trapped heroes could hear the smirk in the Master's voice as he bent down and held out the red gem in front of Robin.

"You may be the winner, but the losers are mine to keep."

Suddenly Beastboy and Wilderbeast shuttered and energy seeped out of them as Robin took a step away from the Master his mouth parting slightly in horror.

"And with all their powers at mine to command no one will ever defeat the Master of Games."

By now all of the heroes in the gem were trembling, their powers being drained into the red gem.

"I am invincible."

Robin glared, but he tilted his head and smirked. "How can you be invincible if you don't have me? The champion of champions?" he asked. The Game Master was completely taken off guard for a moment before he considered this truth.

Lowering himself down on the claws. He observed the Titan.

"You are quite skilled," he stated circling the teen. Robin grinned cockily and knew he had him.

"Then maybe the game isn't over."

The Master continued to circle him a hungry look now in his eyes, "The game is never over."

"One last round, winner take all?" Robin asked smirking.

"Robin against the Master of Games. Let the contest begin!" And he attacked.

The Titan swiftly dodged leaping away from the sonic cannon's path, now all he had to do was actually win. He slammed the Master into a column using his grapple gun and cord for momentum but with so many different attacks Robin felt himself tiring.

He fired his grapple hook and wound it around one metal claw trying to topple the Master, but the cord snapped. The heroes trapped inside watched as Robin hit the wall before flames engulfed him.

"I win, I always win!"

The teen unwrapped himself from his black cape the flames encircling his form instead.

"Not today!"

He jumped on the arm of the snake and aimed a kick right at the gem. Thousands of cracks formed in the crystal. The prison shook, the cells beginning to collapse, light escaping through the ceiling.

"We gotta help!" Cy yelled.

Danny felt his energy returning and his eyes turned glowing green, "Hold on!" And with this he grabbed Cyborg and Speedy by the arms and shot up in the air straight for the largest pocket of light.

The three teens landed next to the boy wonder all of them armed and equally pissed off.

"Nice work," Speedy said grinning.

"Told ya there was something weird about this game!" Cyborg snapped at Robin causing the teen to flush slightly in embarrassment.

"Guys…we still haven't won yet," Danny commented looking over to the Game Master getting up off the floor.

"Victory shall be mine!"

Robin stepped forward and glared, "Winning isn't everything."

The Game Master yelled and flames shot out at the Titan who dodged at the last second as Speedy aimed his arrow, pulling the bow string back, feeling the wood strain, and being held only in place by his strength. The three Titans attacked throwing the Master off balance. He tilted, and Speedy saw the opening, the arrow flew and struck the gem embedding itself in the red crystal. Energy sparked all around it, and Robin looked up to Danny who was floating high in the air.

"Danny!"

The teen looked down as Robin sprung up into the air. Catching the Titan by his wrists, Danny swung them around twice with controlled strength and let Robin go. He rocketed towards the Master and landed a kick three times his strength straight into the gem. The Master hollered, and gold light exploded out and in a flash all of the heroes were back and standing in the great hall looking down at the now ordinary Master of Games.

"I lose," he whispered, and in an explosion he was gone the red gem clattering to the floor.

* * *

><p>Robin had placed a communicator in all of the hands of the heroes. "As far as I'm concerned you're all honorary Titans," he stated.<p>

Gizmo flipped open the screen and ogled it, "Cool!"

Cyborg snatched it away, "Hey! Yo, gimme that, you're not a good guy remember."

The kid crossed his arms and pouted while calling Cyborg a gunk eater.

Robin extended his hand to Speedy, "Sorry, I pretty much acted like a jerk back there."

Speedy shook his hand and shrugged, "We both did. Besides it was your drive to win that saved us."

"Actually, when I was facing the Master, I wasn't fighting to win. I was fighting for my friends."

With this Danny, Cyborg and Beastboy stepped forward, gem in hand.

"Well dudes," Beastboy started.

"It's been fun," Cyborg added before elbowing Danny.

"I'm not doing the _finish-your-sentence_ thing, it's creepy," he hissed, and no, he wasn't pouting. He just didn't know what to add.

BB threw the gem, and Robin caught it easily and held it up.

"And if you ever need us, you know how to reach us."

Speedy nodded, "Right back at you."

And in a flash all the heroes headed home. The three Titans landing back in the Tower, the sun now setting outside. Danny turned to the window and grimaced. Cyborg placed a hand on the halfa's shoulder.

"I'm sure Wulf will be okay, where ever he is."

It did little, but Danny still appreciated the comfort, "Thanks, he's had worse anyways."

"Hey, where are the girls?" Robin suddenly asked.

* * *

><p>Starfire, Raven and Terra along with three other girls all appeared in a great hall. The Master of Games standing above them on a giant pedestal.<p>

"Welcome, champions all, you are hereby invited to compete in the competition of heroines!" the Master exclaimed.

"Raven?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Could that be why?" Terra asked pointing to a great giant black wolf suddenly standing behind the Master who turned and paled considerably.

"Oh, crap."

Wulf grinned and raised his claws.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	33. Chapter 25: Betrayed

_Blindsided..._

"_Would 'sorry' have made any difference? _

_Does it ever? It's just a word. _

_One word against a thousand actions." _

_-Sarah Ockler_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 25: Betrayed

"Well, it looks like we won."

The Tower was wrecked.

"Then why does it not feel like a victory?" Starfire whispered while looking to Cyborg with pleading eyes.

Broken limbs and the bodies of the robots littered the destroyed Tower.

"I knew it, _I knew it_. We never should have trusted her," Raven growled.

Holes, burns, tears and wounds were everywhere. The Tower reflected all of the Titans hearts. Robin lifted his eyes, surveying the damage, wondering why each broken piece felt as if it had been inflicted upon him.

"But we did, we all did," Robin answered from where he stood, leaning back against the overturned table. He needed it for support; his own voice cracked.

Cyborg tapped the final code in his arm and looked up from where he sat, "I've regained access to the computer, security codes and encryption strings have all been reset."

"And all enemy surveillance technology has been located and destroyed," Starfire finished. Robin gave a small nod.

Raven's amethyst eyes turned fierce and she held her arms around herself, fingers straining against bone, "The problem is Terra gave Slade more than secret codes and hidden cameras. She gave him us." The team winced, but she ignored it, "She gave him our flaws, our weaknesses, everything he'd ever need to know."

Robin clenched his fists and turned away, "It doesn't matter. When Slade makes his next move, we'll be ready."

In the silence that followed, Cyborg felt he should voice the question no one wanted to ask, "And Beastboy?"

"He will be alright?" Starfire whispered, fat tears gathering in her eyes.

Robin glanced over to Danny who hadn't moved or said a word at all. The halfa looked up to his friend from underneath his black bangs, and the boy wonder had seen that look many times in his life. To many times, it was the look that said there was no getting over this. No amount of healing would erase this pain. Robin looked back to his team and made sure his voice was hard and emotionless.

"He just needs a little time."

Danny turned and walked away while Robin felt the wounds in the Tower begin to scar, he prayed they wouldn't fester.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Eight Hours Earlier:<strong>

Slade had sent his robots out to attack a nuclear plant on the outskirts of the city, the night drawing closer. A red batarang soared and struck one of the nearest drones drawing all of the robots attention to the seven teens standing by the gates, the desert over looking them. Some form of bomb held in one of the drones arms.

"Tell Slade the Titans have a message for him," Robin snarled.

Terra lifted three boulders into the air, "He can eat dirt." And she threw the rocks, smashing a handful of the machines.

"Titans, go!"

Their teamwork was seamless. Raven and Terra passed each other earth as if was nothing, and both Cyborg and Robin effortlessly moved around the debris past the destroyed robots getting closer to the building where three of the guards attempted to sneak away. High up Danny covered each team member his eyes taking in everything, raising shields and throwing ecto-blasts when a robot came close to slipping through his friends weak spots.

When three robots launched into the air, the halfa was momentarily distracted giving time for one robot to blast Terra off her rock. She hit the ground hard while three more goons prepared to jump her. Beastboy let out a roar and doubled back from his position near the front to take care of the things. He ripped off their limbs and gave a roar standing above Terra in all his gorilla rage. He picked her up bridal style and changed back, the girls cheeks went pale pink.

"You saved me."

Beastboy swore he had hearts in his eyes, "Yeah, that was cool."

"Uh, Beastboy, you can set me down now."

He gave an embarrassing 'eep' before the two got back to work.

Soon all of the robots were destroyed, and Robin kneeled down next to the bomb, his mouth downturned in a frown. Danny touched down next to him as the boy wonder sighed and stood up.

"It's a fake."

"Great. So back to square one," Danny stated while the team joined them.

"Then what do we do now?" Starfire asked curiously.

Everyone looked expectantly to Robin who shook his head before smiling, "Nothing. We'll figure this out later. Let's head back to the Tower and eat. I haven't had something since…"

"Six in the morning," Cyborg answered crossing his arms and giving his friend the _'I'm disappointed in you because you locked yourself in your study and forgot you were a normal human being'_ look. Robin carefully didn't meet his friends eyes while pulling out his communicator.

"So, pizza?" He asked.

* * *

><p>They were on the last slice of cheese pepperoni and vegetable pizza when Cyborg placed it on a plate and gave it a spin.<p>

"And the last slice of pizza goes to…Terra!" He exclaimed while the others gave their congratulations.

Terra let out a laugh when Cyborg picked her up and placed her on his shoulder before shoving a microphone in her face.

"Just a rookie and already you're a NBP holding the cup of cheese trophy. Terra, the world wants to know, how does it feel?"

The earth mover felt her cheeks heat up from all the attention, and she picked up the slice of pizza to give her hands something to do.

"Um, good, I guess and kind of greasy."

Cyborg let out a booming laugh, and she thought he'd make a great game announcer.

Robin gave his friend a playful punch before looking at her, "Seriously Terra, great job today. We're glad to have you on the team."

"Yes, we are most mirthful to claim you as our friend," Starfire said before laughing. It sounded beautiful and bell like from where she set beside Danny, who had a half-smile on his face letting Terra know that he felt the same.

"What they said," Raven answered on the halfa's other side before promptly stealing his drink since hers was empty.

"Hey."

He gave her a half hearted glare when Beastboy jumped across the table and licked Terra's face, his adorable puppy dog form yanking at her heartstrings.

"Beastboy!" she said fondly before shoving him off and getting up to clear away the dishes.

Once the table was clear, she paused by the counter, looking over her friends each one chatting lazily, all perfectly content. Her heart clenched and for a second Terra feared that extra slice of pizza would come up all over the red carpet.

"Thanks guys, really, for everything but you shouldn't…" all their eyes were on her in open trust and for Beastboy nothing but affectionate love that made her stomach flip flop and her palms turn sweaty.

"I just…I'm doing my job you know. No big deal," she finished lamely, and BB leaned forward having to tilt up slightly to meet her eyes.

"Well, it's a big deal to us, good friends don't come along every day. Or in Danny's case a couple of months," BB added after thinking about it.

"I heard that," Danny grumbled before a yawn split his face making him look like a pouting child. Terra found it so endearing watching the bonds that tied all of these heroes together. It looked and felt tangible to her, like strings in a piano pulled taut and tuned to perfection inside the wood. This Tower housed some of the most beautiful souls she'd ever known and soon…the girl looked away from Beastboy and towards the windows where blackness beat up against the glass. It was almost time.

Cyborg headed to the living room doors and placed his palm on the computer scanner next to it. Instantly the Tower seemed to hum and the clicks of locks resounded as the lights turned off and the whole building fell into silence.

"Alright ya'll, Titans Tower is locked up and Cyborg's shutting down," he said before walking out.

Robin, Starfire, Raven and Danny all stood as well, a determined expression on the boy wonder's face.

"Cyborg's right, we should all get some sleep. We may have stopped Slade tonight, but we need to figure out what his real target was and what he's planning tomorrow."

Beastboy looked at Terra while the four of them left and sleepily waved at her, "Nighty, night Terra."

He left, and Terra was alone looking at the door, she gripped one elbow in her arm and squeezed, gazing nervously at the darkened clock, guilt contorting her face.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Only, there wouldn't be a tomorrow.

Alone in her room, Terra shifted her eyes around suddenly unsure of prying eyes. But no one was there, taking a breath, she opened her laptop and typed in the code before hitting send. The message was off and now there was no going back. She jumped and slammed her computer shut when someone knocked on her door.

She took a moment to compose herself before pressing the button and letting the metal door slide open to reveal Beastboy standing in the hallway, hands behind his back a goofy nervous smile on his face. Terra's heart tripped double time.

"Hi."

"Hi," she answered back waiting patiently for Beastboy to answer only he seemed frozen in place the smile still stuck on his face. Terra looked around the empty hallway and shifted on her feet.

"Okay well, nice talking to you," she waved preparing to head back into her room. Beastboy freaked, managing to hold out his arm and the poorly wrapped package in his hand. "I kinda made you something."

Terra stuck her head out into the hall before stepping forward in stunned silence.

"Really? You did?" She asked taking the brown paper wrapping while a blush colored Beastboy from the neck up.

"Yeah, I went a little crazy with the glue gun," he grinned and revealed his other hand with said glue gun still stuck to it. After a few swings it came loose and was flung across the hall, neither Titan really caring about it. Terra unwrapped the present and gasped. For there sitting in the ugly wrapping paper was a sterling silver jewelry box, its heart design glistening. She opened it and looked into the mirror on the top to see her stunned dark blue eyes.

"Beastboy, it's, I don't know what to say," she whispered looking up to him.

His hazel green eyes met hers looking hopeful, "Well you could say yes, 'cause I'm about to ask you out on a date."

Terra swore her heart stopped, "Oh, wow." In her own head even Terra felt that sounded stupid, but since her mind currently couldn't form a coherent sentence, she'd make do with it.

Beastboy grinned in triumph, "So want to do something tomorrow night?"

All her hopeful, excited feelings derailed,_ tomorrow_…Terra backed up in fear, and Beastboy suddenly felt his heart tighten anxiously from watching her back away.

"Tomorrow. I…I'm sorry Beastboy I can't."

"But…" he pleaded.

Terra whirled around, and he heard her say she just couldn't before the door slammed closed and left him to walk back to his room in rejection. The second his door was closed he flung himself inside and gave a muffled scream into his pillow before shooting up and glaring at his reflection in the full body mirror.

"Ugh, you idiot! How could you mess that up? All you had to do was knock on the door and say: yo Terra, you me movies Friday?" In his best body builder voice, the next take, "Youz are the most beautifulz woman I have ever seen." He popped a rose in his mouth and wiggled his fake French mustache. Take three, "You wanna go for a ride on my moped?" He asked in his bad boy voice yanking on his Grease hairdo. Take four, puppy attack! And take five he was crying in the rain begging and pleading.

He whirled around and pulled at his hair now back to normal. "Anything would have been better than giving her a glue covered box and acting like a total goober! Now she'll never go out with me," he howled collapsing on the ground drowning in self pity.

*Ahem.*

Beastboy looked over to his open window and screamed like a girl. For there was Terra floating on a rock, hands on her hips.

"Um…how long have you been floating there?"

"Wanna go out?"

Beastboy shot to his feet, "Huh? Yeah!" he exclaimed excitement rolling off his skin, quickly he coughed and gained back some composure trying to play it cool. "I mean, sure. But why didn't you just knock on my door?" he asked moving to the window.

Terra's expression was unreadable as she extended her hand, "Do you trust me?"

"More than anyone I've ever met," he answered taking her hand, she pulled him up onto the rock his foot momentarily slipped, and Terra embraced him until he regained his balance. When he pulled away, both teens were sporting blushes.

"Um, thanks."

Terra merely nodded and the two took off, Beastboy's communicator having been thrown back into his room by the girl.

"So you wanna catch a late movie?" he asked while the two sped away leaving the city limits.

* * *

><p>Cyborg yawned and flicked on some lights as he made his way down the hall and into the living room making a beeline for the kitchen.<p>

"Man, I knew I shouldn't have given up that last slice of pizza," he stated opening up the fridge. He bent down to reach one of the lower shelves to grab a pre-made sandwich, and stood up the only light coming from the box.

"But nothing a foot long ham and beef jerky sandwich won't…" His eyes widened and the food hit the floor as he looked at the Slade robots standing on the cabinets all of them armed to the teeth, weapons trained on him.

"No."

Danny woke up to the resounding boom that filled the Tower. He sat up and suddenly his pillow exploded from the laser that struck it. The Titan rolled to the floor, sheets entangling him while robots launched themselves at him. Danny transformed and soon he was destroying goons left and right as they swarmed in from his open door. His only thoughts were to get to his friends, blindly he pushed back the panic and reasoning that whispered they might already be dead.

* * *

><p>Beastboy and Terra were one hundred miles from the city, the hour long trip seemed so short as the changeling stood on the shore of Los Angeles watching the shimmer of lights flicker across the water.<p>

"When you asked me out, I didn't realize you meant out of town."

Terra stepped forward never looking away from the City of Angels.

"Looks cool doesn't it, guess sometimes you have to leave a place to really appreciate it," she said her voice somber before she smiled and looked at her maybe boyfriend.

"You hungry?"

"Always."

They stopped at a place called Ben's. The burger sign hanging above a gas stop. Terra walked in and headed straight to the counter sitting on the old round seats, swiveling around to survey the small crowd of well, old people. Beastboy was a little shocked, but he took his seat while a fifty year old woman who had a permanent scowl on her face with pink hair and librarian glasses watched him.

She wordlessly handed the two menu's, and the changeling chuckled nervously at the all meat choices.

"Um…don't suppose you have a veggie burger?"

The waitress said nothing, and Terra chuckled and gave her back the cheaply laminated papers, "We'll just get the usual, Pam."

"So I'm guessing you've been here before," he stated, and Terra's face lit up in excitement.

"I've been everywhere before. I was quite the traveler before I became a Titan remember."

"Okay, what's the coolest place you've ever been to?" BB asked. Startled, Terra looked down to her warped reflection in the spoon.

"Don't know, probably Titans Tower. But there's plenty of cool stuff out here. Who knows, if you're really nice to me, maybe I'll give you the tour," she answered guilt churning her stomach and making her shift in her seat, she ignored it.

Pam silently set down a piece of pie in front of them, and Terra handed Beastboy the spoon.

"Dig in."

Beastboy promptly took a bite and froze, spoon still in mouth. He leveled her a look of the up-most seriousness.

"This is the greatest pie, in the history of pies."

Terra beamed at him and turned back to the counter as Pam set down hers, she eagerly scooped up a piece. "There's a place one hundred miles outside of Gotham that makes a mean cherry, but for apple this is the best there…" she stuttered to a stop when in the glass Slade stood behind her. Terra spun around and only met air, nervously she shifted in her seat before pulling out the exact change and grabbed Beastboy by his arm and pulled him out of his seat.

"Let's get out of here, night's still young."

"But pie!" Beastboy protested although he didn't pull away as they left the bar and took off.

* * *

><p>"Beastboy come in," Robin tried once more on the communicator to no avail. He jumped out of the way as a section of the Tower was blown away and ignored it when he felt something slice through the skin on his left arm. Cyborg and Starfire slammed into the wall next to him, all having been cornered in his study, Starfire keeping the robots from getting through the door. But that wouldn't last much longer, more explosions happened throughout the Tower, and Robin tried once again to contact Beastboy.<p>

"He's not responding."

"That's because he doesn't have his communicator," Danny answered teleporting on the other side of the open door, throwing an ecto-blast into the hallway destroying three robots before holding up the small device. Raven appeared next to him.

"And Terra's not in her room."

Robin raised an eyebrow at this. Cyborg let out a growl and fired through the doorway before looking back to the team.

"Someone wanna tell me how three hundred armed guards got past my security system?" he snarled even though the team knew there was only one way that could happen.

Cyborg opened up the door panel and tried to access the small computer with his finger drive and got jolted with volts of electricity.

"Ah, can't even access the computer, I'm locked out!"

Danny decided he needed to say it, "We've been betrayed."

"And they are too numerous to fight. What shall we do?" Starfire asked.

Robin looked to each member of his team memorizing each detail before he steeled himself in determination.

"Fight anyways. Cyborg, work on getting the computers back online in the main control room, Raven and Starfire, take out the enemy robots and any surveillance tech they might be planting. Danny, find Beastboy and Terra and confirm our suspicions."

The four other Titans took off and Robin rounded the corner his bo-staff in hand destroying the robots left and right, Danny right at his side.

"You do realize Beastboy will be caught in the middle of this," he stated dealing death blows to the machines. Their oil splattering the walls.

Robin grimaced but pressed forward, "I know."

The halfa nodded and disappeared in green light, Robin twisted in the air and continued to fight. It was brutal and none of the Titans were holding back. Cyborg fell three floors when Raven collapsed the floor in anger at the robots having entered her room placing him in the training room only two floors away from the computer consol he needed.

Groaning slightly he got up and backed up into the wall as a dozen faceless goons surrounded him.

"I don't know how you guys got in but I know how you're getting out." He grabbed the nearest ones fist and spun him into the wall ripping the metal from metal. Cyborg picked up the weight equipment and swung with all his strength.

Starfire cleared a path for Robin her eyes electric green and filled with unbridled rage as the boy wonder destroyed the two robots standing by the actual weapon stolen from the nuclear plant. The miniature bomb that could vaporize the entire Tower along with three city blocks. Robin quickly deactivated it then went back into the thick of the battle letting his rage sear his veins as he thought of Terra.

The others wouldn't admit it yet, but right now, through the smoke and crumbling rocks Robin knew, and he screamed letting out all his frustration and pain as he destroyed the monsters who belonged to the man who'd used Terra to get to them. And the worst part, the boy wonder realized as he smashed in ten goons heads, was that Slade's plan had worked. This time, he'd won.

* * *

><p>Danny appeared in the lab so suddenly Fixit had barely enough time to look up from the data he was collecting on electrical storms before the halfa was turning on the ghost portal.<p>

"Danny, what's going on?"

"The Tower is under attack, and Beastboy and Terra have gone missing," the halfa frantically replied. The metal doors opening and the room became cast in shadows of eerie green and black before Danny disappeared into the portals swirling depths leaving Fixit at a loss of what he could do.

Cold wind was the first thing that Danny felt as it buffeted his face biting his nose and making his eyes water. He'd landed in the middle of a snowstorm. The wind changed suddenly and knocked him clear out of the sky, white snow piling around him and even with his ice core Danny could feel the chill settle over his skin, and the siren call of death from the blizzards cold caresses.

In a panic, Danny stumbled forward fighting the blindness from being surrounded by so much white, he needed to focus, he knew this. Still, it took several deep breathes to fight off the terrifying feeling of having nothing solid to hold onto before he teleported to the outer gates of the Far Frozen City. The towering doors locked, the energy field humming beneath the crystal ice.

"Frostbite!" Danny screamed not even hearing his own voice or his fist as he pounded on the door the wind drowning him out. Still he didn't stop, he continued to yell and beg, praying for someone to hear him because he couldn't risk flying in this whiteout and soon even he would succumb to this weather.

Finally after what felt like hours the door beneath his finger tips warmed and opened and furry white arms encompassed him, dragging him into the safety of the city. Danny let himself stay in the embrace to hide his violent shivering before he steeled himself and pushed away to see the very worried face of Frostbite.

"Great One? Why have you come here, you know this is the worst time for travel in our land," Frostbite reprimanded his brow creasing in confusion while he looked over the halfa for any sign of injuries.

Danny took a steadying breath, his shaking down to nothing more than a light tremble.

"Sorry, it's an emergency two of my friends have gone missing, the Tower is under attack, and I've been charged with finding them."

He wouldn't tell him about Terra. Danny found he couldn't because then it would make it true. Frostbites claws tightened around his shoulders, worry coming over him as he remembered the five teens who'd done so much for them all.

"Right this way."

Immediately they headed for the science building the doors opening in a flurry while Frostbite barked out orders.

"We've been experimenting with the Infi-map as of late. Trying to access her great power without having run the risk of the map leaving the safe confines of our land. I believe this will give us the perfect test run."

And normally Danny would be filled with curiosity, but now his head pounded in worry and desperation making his vision swim, and vaguely the halfa wondered if this is what Pandora meant when she said ghosts feel with their minds. Because he was sure if his heart had been beating it would be flying faster than hummingbirds' wings.

"Alright," Danny answered and even to him his voice sounded strained.

The lab doors opened and they walked in where the Infi-map lazily moved in the center of the room, completely unfurled circling an unknown world behind the protective force field. A yeti scientist turned to them, "All preparations are complete, we are ready to begin."

Frostbite nodded. "Good. Danny, place your hand on the barrier and speak your request."

The halfa didn't hesitate, he flew up to the map and gazed at the image of the Ghost Zones night sky.

"Infi-map, please locate the nearest portal to Beastboy and Terra."

The change in the map was instant, deep green ink turned to liquid black and the map began to accelerate in the barrier generating white light. Danny took a step back as he heard one of the scientists saying the portal was stabilizing.

"What?" Danny asked turning back to Frostbite before the lights flickered and he felt the air become electrified and the room became encased in green light.

"Portal is stable."

Looking back, Danny saw that in the center of the map's orbit there indeed was a portal.

"Oh, so that's what you meant," Danny replied, Frostbite coming to stand next to him.

"Indeed. Instead of the Infi-map finding the portals we've been able to generate enough power to create a portal between Zones while using the Infi-map as coordinates into the Human Zone. In theory it should take you where you want to go."

"Right. Frostbite, thank you."

The ghost yeti's eyes softened around the edges before he solemnly nodded and stepped back.

Danny turned back to the Infi-map as the scroll parted allowing him to step into the ring towards the portal, he paused when Frostbite spoke.

"Great One, good luck."

The ghost teen gave a nod and stepped through.

* * *

><p>Beastboy was having the time of his life with Terra. At first she'd been reserved but since coming to the closed carnival the earth-mover's whole presence seemed to brighten. They'd played bumper cars, gone on the whirl machine, went to a photo booth, rode through a haunted house that had Beastboy fainting into Terra's arms while she blushed tomato red, they did a can toss, and together they walked arm in arm to the Big Wheel. It was as if he were in a dream while the Ferris wheel started moving them higher into the sky. And now sitting beside Terra, the changeling marveled at how beautiful she was, the way her hair cascaded over her shoulders to how her dark blue eyes were turned away happy and content. She was wonderful.<p>

He found himself smiling and Beastboy shifted closer tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

"So, what made you change your mind?"

"Excuse me?"

"About going out with me. It was the ears wasn't it? Ladies love the pointy ears," Beastboy said and for emphasis, wigging them causing Terra to chuckle lightly before her somber mood returned. She turned away looking out at the darkened sky.

"Actually it was because…of all the things I could have done tonight I realized all I really wanted to do was spend time with you," she answered honestly, looking back to him, and Beastboy felt his heart beat double time.

"Lucky for me, you didn't have other plans."

Something akin to dread flashed through Terra's eyes, and this time she really did turn away letting her hair conceal her face.

"Beastboy, if you knew something bad about me would you still be my friend?" she asked, and a pit dropped low in the changeling's stomach. Her words bringing him back to the rocky shore of the Tower where she promised him not to speak of her uncontrollable powers. But Beastboy still knew his answer regardless of how she'd hurt him.

"Of course…"

Her dark blue eyes met his, they were filled with shame, and Beastboy didn't know why, but suddenly his senses were overcome with fear.

"I mean, if you were really my friend, I could tell you anything. And no matter how horrible it was you'd still like me right?" she asked scooting closer, seeking his warmth, his protection, and the word 'yes' slipped past Beastboy's lips before he could fully comprehend it. All he knew was that Terra's lips were drawing nearer, and he felt his eyes flutter closed, the dread in his stomach tightening as much as the anticipation in his chest. This felt like he was about to seal a promise, or a curse.

Suddenly in the shadows of the box cart, there was a man lounging in the seat as if he'd been there the entire time. Slade smirked behind his mask and spoke, "Hello, Terra." He enjoyed the way the two teens stiffened and jumped, whirling around to gaze at him in shock and fear.

"Remember me?" he asked getting up as Beastboy stood to face him, placing himself defensively in front of the girl. Slade grabbed him and in a heartbeat Beastboy was dangling outside the cart the ground far below.

Slade only spared him a glance though before he looked back to the girl, "I had plans for you, Terra. Did you think you and your little boyfriend could just run away?"

Terra stumbled back into the chain wall and Beastboy felt a surge of anger, he flipped back into the cart and growled low and glutterly in his chest.

"Let her go!" Beastboy warned, and the Raptor charged at the man, knocking them both clear through the wall and onto the next cart below them.

"Beastboy!" Terra screamed watching fearfully as the two struggled.

"Terra, run!" BB yelled as he pinned Slade to the metal. The man merely tilted his head and made no moves to escape.

"Stay where you are, child."

"What do you want with her?" Beastboy demanded his voice conveying none of his fear.

This time Slade did laugh, and his dark grey eye glistened. "You mean, she didn't tell you? I thought you two were friends." He kicked up and threw Beastboy onto another cart.

He pulled out his bo-staff when the tiger landed next to him, stalking him, the beast's movements liquid and deadly. Slade could admire the teen's loyalty even as he made sure those jaws didn't sink into his shoulder. Bending back, the mercenary kicked the tiger back to the ruined cart where Terra helped the changeling up. Slade jumped and soon the two were in combat again, and their fight took them across the Ferris wheel. Struggling to keep the gorilla in his head lock Slade decided to deliver the final blow.

"You think you know her, you know nothing. She never even liked you."

Beastboy snapped and bending his massive arms painfully, he threw Slade over his shoulder. The man landed dangerously close to the edge of the cart. The changeling was about to charge when Terra appeared next to him on one of her floating rocks her eyes wide and panicked.

"Beastboy, c'mon!"

But one look at the overly confident man, and Beastboy was attacking him with nothing less than murderous intent. However Slade was prepared, and soon he was strangling the life out of the changeling.

"T-Terra!" Beastboy gasped, and the girl let out a yell, raising her arms and the Ferris wheel gave a groan and soon the earth beneath it shuddered, and Slade fell back as he lost his balance.

"Beastboy, fly!"

He didn't need to be told twice, and Slade watched as the sparrow fluttered away. He looked up towards the girl.

"Terra, no!"

Guilt coursed through her as she looked down at the man before she closed her eyes and brought her palms together and the ground swallowed the Ferris wheel whole. But both teens knew the man wasn't dead, and Beastboy's entire being screamed at him to run. Quickly, he grabbed Terra's wrist and they fled into the House of Mirrors. The glass contorting everything even the path as they twisted and turned through the run down maze. Their footsteps echoing in a strange pattern of pit and pat. Until both came to a circular room with no exit, neither one's reflections being cast in the glass, Beastboy reached for his communicator and came up empty.

"I lost my communicator, give me yours," he said trying not to panic, but Terra only shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't have it." She answered almost too calmly.

"Then we've got to get back to the Tower and..."

"Beastboy, I'm not going back. I can't," Terra stated not meeting his eyes.

The changeling felt his senses freeze, and unconsciously he took a step back, "What? Why can't you?"

"Because," Slade answered his voice reverberating off the walls, his reflection appearing in every single glass pane. "She's my apprentice."

Beastboy turned around but no one was there, and suddenly he was alone. "Terra? Terra!"

"The girl you knew was merely an illusion," Slade answered. "A fantasy, in reality she's been working for me."

"That's a lie!"

And Beastboy ran at the glass, punching each pane hoping to hit the man, but only distorting the images. Slade still kept talking.

"I found her. I trained her to control her impressive powers, and then I sent her to destroy your little team. From the inside, out."

All the glass lay shattered on the floor, and Beastboy backed away, panting, blood dripping down his hands, his hazel green eyes fierce. Until only one mirror stood undamaged with Slade still standing in it.

"No. Terra would never…"

"Tonight her orders were to strike. But I guess she took pity on you, perhaps she wanted to keep you as a _pet_. However, despite this minor error in judgment she was kind enough to deactivate the security at Titans Tower. Your friends are being annihilated as we speak."

Beastboy squeezed his eyes shut, and he shook with every word Slade said for his senses were screaming at him that this was true but…but it was _Terra_ and he…he might love her. It wasn't possible.

"Liar!" He yelled and everything seemed to slow down when he heard Terra speak calmly behind him.

"Beastboy," she said and the changeling whirled around to face her, and there she was.

And Slade was behind her, his arms crossed menacingly over his chest. "It's the truth," she finished. Beastboy felt his heart stop and his mind freeze up in denial.

"Terra, why?"

But before she could answer, Slade cut in darkly, "Because you could never give her what she needs."

Animalistic rage overpowered Beastboy and the tiger launched himself only at the man, his roar filled with nothing but searing agony.

The two crashed into the last mirror and Slade took the opportunity to shoot the changeling with his plasma gun. Beastboy hit the ground with a thud and didn't get up. Terra gasped and jumped between the two, Slade's gun now aiming at her heart.

"No, I won't let you hurt my friend," she warned, her fists a bright gold. Slade didn't so much as flinch.

"Dear child, you don't have any friends."

And Terra felt horror begin to creep into the corners of her mind as a shadow loomed up behind her and the grizzly bear shoved past her and slashed at the man's chest with a vengeance Terra had never seen before.

She ran.

Terra didn't stop until she couldn't find the next door, and it was here that she finally saw her face in all the glass. Her eyes wide in fear, her hair streaming down her face to her tense shoulders. All around her Terra was surrounded by no one but herself and her actions.

She collapsed, her fingers digging painfully in her blonde hair, what had she done?

"Beastboy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen," she choked out, tears slipping past her eyes.

"Then why did you let it?" He asked stepping forward, his face hard, new blood pooling, dripping past his fingertips. Terra stood up and gazed at him beseechingly, bordering on insanity.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know. Slade, he helped me, saved me from myself. He said I owed him but…"

"So it was all a game?" Beastboy accused. "You were just pretending?!"

Terra felt her heart clench, that wasn't what she meant to do? Was it? No. Beastboy wasn't getting it, Terra owed Slade. She had no choice, this wasn't her fault. Destroying the Titans was only a mission. She was still Beastboy's friend, she still loved him. It wasn't her fault.

"No. You said you'd be my friend no matter what remember?"

She reached out to take his shoulder, but Beastboy shoved her arm away, snarling, his fangs dangerously on display for her to see.

"Did you truly think I could forgive you for this?" Beastboy screamed throwing his arms up blindly. "Actions have consequences Terra, _you_ made the decisions, _you _made the choices! Do you not see...? Terra, I…" And Beastboy suddenly broke off, and turned away, and the next words out of his mouth felt like he'd punched out a hole where his heart should be.

"Slade was right, you don't have any friends."

Terra looked at Beastboy as if she'd never seen him before— he had promised. When Slade called her, Terra backed up never taking her eyes off of her former friends shadowed form. Beastboy never looked back and suddenly Terra's horror and desperation burned into anger and now—revenge.

Together she left with Slade, and the second Beastboy's senses stopped screaming at him about turning his back on the enemies, when he could no longer feel their presence, he roared and blindly destroyed anything his fists connected too.

* * *

><p>Danny found himself on the outskirts of an old fair ground, the place completely empty except for the lone girl walking past its gates.<p>

"Terra!"

Danny was half way to her when she met his eyes and broke out in a malicious smile. Danny slammed on the brakes and his feet hit the ground.

His horror stricken face only made Terra's darker.

"Terra, what have you done?" Danny whispered, his breath catching in his throat.

The girl's smile turned brittle.

"Nothing, yet. Although that doesn't really hold true for Beastboy, now does it?"

Danny saw red, and his fists burned liquid green.

"Where is he?" his voice was dangerous.

"Left him in the House of Mirrors," she spat the last word as if it was blasphemous.

Danny didn't pause; he raced past her at his top flight, not even bothering with trying to fight her, the air making Terra's hair whirl around her as she watched him go.

"Sometimes you have to place your trust in someone even at the risk of being hurt," she whispered recounting the words she'd spoken to him in the Tower, her eyes burned in rage as she watched Danny disappear. What made her any different from him? Turning away, she silently promised that Danny would be the next one on her list to pay and Robin would be the last.

Danny flew past all of the rides and the broken ground where the Ferris wheel used to be, he twisted into the House the of Mirrors and nearly ran head long into the dark glass.

It was pitch black in here, he couldn't see anything, and the air was ice cold and the rooms silent.

"Beastboy!"

Danny yelled stumbling through the maze until he came to a room where all the glass glittered like fallen stars on the dirt and there, in the center of the ring was one of his closest friends.

"Beastboy!" Danny ran up to the changeling who sat huddled on the ground covered in drying blood.

The changeling didn't move, and kneeling down, Danny could barely make out the slight tremble in the teen's shoulders. The halfa's eyes darkened, his mouth thinning as he took in all the pain Terra had caused. Reaching out, he put his palm on Beastboy's shoulders and gently tried to get him to stand.

"C'mon, let's go. We're needed back at the Tower."

And that was when everything came crashing down.

Beastboy lunged forward, and Danny only had a split second to realize that he wasn't about to attack him. Injured arms wrapped around the halfa, and Danny could only silently hold on while Beastboy's screams were muffled against his chest, tears racing down jade skin. The two sat there while all the jagged glass sparkled merrily at having destroyed everything.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Present:<strong>

"Well… it looks like we won."

"Then why does it not feel like a victory?"

"I knew it, _I knew it._ We never should have trusted her."

"But we did, we all did."

…

"She gave him us…our weaknesses."

"It doesn't matter. When Slade attacks, we'll be ready."

"And Beastboy?"

"He will be alright?"

Robin looked to Danny who hadn't moved or spoken a word.

"He just needs a little time." It was the only answer Robin could give as Danny walked away.

And no one commented on the soft whimpers coming from Terra's room where Beastboy rested on her bed curled around the silver heart jewelry box. The mirror inside it dark and hollow.

* * *

><p>AN: Read &amp; Review<p>

~Rin


	34. Chapter 26: Splintered

_I'm getting back up..._

"_Just working on my faults and cracks, _

_Filling in the blanks and gaps."_

_~Unknown_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 26: Splintered

It had been two weeks, and finally the air in Titan's Tower seemed breathable again. Still, it didn't mean the team was really ready to get back together. So far, they'd only been patrolling in pairs of two or three. Even relaxing back at the Tower, they were avoiding each other and in a way, that helped.

After three days Cyborg and Danny managed to get Beastboy to smile when they presented him the new version of Doom and the first comic book issue of Mega Monkeys. Raven for all purposes seemed fine, but none of the team commented on her increased mediation time. And Starfire, well Danny wasn't sure what Robin said that made her cheerful again, but when the halfa saw her sunlight smile for the first time in days, he gave in to the urge and bear hugged her till Star nearly started crying in joy.

Now the only problem: Robin. While the boy wonder appeared fine, Danny could tell that their leader had closed off from something, buried it, and was letting it poison his veins. But the halfa couldn't think on that right at this moment. Instead, he focused on the matter at hand and pulled his rain coat tighter around himself as he walked down the street in the downpour. The sky clouds hung low and were a rolling black making it impossible to see the sidewalk, but Danny merely let his feet take him to the apartment building, the rain coming down in sheets. Silently, he trudged up the stairs and knocked on the door, the small porch doing little to shield him from the wind.

"Valarie?"

He called out once more with no answer. Out of habit Danny looked around before twisting the door knob till he heard the slight crack of wood and pulled the door open and a stepped inside. It was pitch black and humid from the rain outside. The narrow hallway branching off into a small living room.

Danny chose to go straight where the wood creaked under his feet till he hit the tile of the kitchen. Guess Robin had been right, Valarie was gone, and by the looks of things very quickly. Not that he blamed her, even though she never told the team her last name she wasn't about to risk a fist fight with the Titans after what she'd done. Sighing, Danny headed back to the front door, but paused, his hand on the knob when he spotted a picture on the floor.

Bending down, Danny carefully slid the photo out of the frame, mindful of the glass and turned it over to see none other than himself and Valarie from their junior picnic. They were smiling, and Valarie was laughing at something Danny had said as he waved his arms around for emphasis, both unaware of the camera until Star had snapped the picture professing it to be nerd love along with suggesting that Danny was cheating on Sam. Valarie had ninja-ed the camera out of the girl's hand in less than thirty seconds flat. It would only be a couple of weeks before everything changed.

Once more Danny looked around the abandoned apartment, clothes, broken weapons, and memories all left behind. She had just run, and Danny didn't even know what he was doing here in the first place. The sound of his communicator jarred him awake, and looking to the screen, he saw Robin's emergency beacon going off. Tucking the picture in his coat pocket, Danny transformed and teleported into the rain.

The first thing he was met with was fire burning on the peak of the bridge, exactly where Robin's signal was coming from.

"Robin!"

Danny rocketed towards the flames and burning metal. The rain doing nothing to smother the flames licking the oil. Devouring it, and there was Robin, hidden under his flame proof cape, almost invisible in this darkness if not for the orange flames encircling around the spot of blackness. Danny wouldn't have found him if not for that. Quickly, the halfa moved, ice freezing the flames in place as Danny reached down to lift his unconscious friend from the debris. Robin's head lulled to the side, the helmet smashed to bits, blood flowing over the domino mask and Danny had him half way out of the rubble when he realized Robin's left arm was buried.

"Damnit," Danny hissed phasing off the twisted metal before carefully arranging himself so he could support the broken limb to Robin's chest while he scooped up the boy wonder and teleported them back to the Tower. Cyborg was the only one present in the Tower when Danny appeared in the medical wing.

And hearing that Robin needed immediate medical attention was something Cyborg never wanted to hear over the intercom, or at all. He raced into the white room where Danny was already setting Robin down on the bed.

"We need to X-Ray his arm, and how the hell do you take off his gauntlets?!" Danny hissed before Cyborg could answer the Titan merely phased them off revealing the limb. Cy flinched as he looked at the unnatural bulge underneath the muscle, Robin's skin already turning a dark purple from the ruptured blood vessels. Both set to work.

* * *

><p>When the rest of the team got back to the Tower, Robin was already awake and brooding in the living room, his left arm wrapped in a cast and a bandage on his forehead. Raven didn't pause in stride as she crossed the room, and he held out his arm. For the next thirty minutes while she worked on mending the bone Robin told them about Jonny Rancid.<p>

"I've reduced it to a minor fracture, but you're still going to have to wear that cast for two weeks," Raven said her white magic disappearing, and Robin grimaced but not from pain.

"Arugh, I don't believe this, how could I make such a stupid mistake?!"

Starfire flinched and stepped forward, "Please, no more Robin yelling at Robin."

"Yeah man, stop kicking yourself, accidents happen," Cyborg answered, and Danny watched as Robin's eyes seemed to darken behind the mask, and his good fist clenched tightly around his knee.

"Not to me they don't."

"Dude, I know just the thing to cheer you up!" Beastboy exclaimed before jumping onto the couch a magic marker in his hand, "We all have to sign your cast!"

When Robin glared, Beastboy froze. The marker hovered over the cast before he gave a nervous laugh and slid off the couch. Robin gave a grunt and stood up. "Look guys, thanks for the concern but I…"

"No!"

Danny jumped in surprise as he watched his friends tackle Robin back onto the couch, looks of panic on their faces. What the hell?

"You are in no condition to continue pursuing the Johnny Rancid!" Starfire all but yelled, and suddenly Danny understood, and he couldn't help but think of the time when Sam and Tucker had literally dragged him to bed. Robin, for the most part seemed to have gotten over the shock and squirmed uncomfortably underneath his friends.

"Guys, I know. I was just reaching for the remote," he stated, and Danny tried not to laugh from where he stood behind the couch.

"You mean…" Beastboy started before Cyborg interrupted him.

"You're not going to be all crazy determined."

"And insist that you are fine, when you clearly are not," Star added, and Danny felt a pang in his heart at those words. Because yeah, before Jazz had found out, he often remembered her coming to his room and pleading for him to tell her why he had so many bruises. She'd been the only one in their family to ever notice.

Robin untangled himself from the group and got the remote as Raven stood up and shifted her weight from foot to foot. "And yell at us for trying to make you stay home."

And seeing Robin's relaxed posture as he picked up the device, Danny began piecing together what was really wrong with his friend.

"You guys can handle Rancid without me. With this on my arm I'd probably just mess up again." The smile he gave the team wasn't comforting in its self-decrepit state. Robin turned back to the built in TV.

"Go take him down, I'll be…" he froze, and the remote hit the ground with a clank.

"Robin!"

"What's wrong?"

The question went unanswered as the teen's body went stiff, and Robin let out a scream and the group watched as a blob came out of his forehead and materialized into…

"Yeah!" The chibi blob exclaimed who looked strangely like Robin.

"What the hell?" Danny asked reaching down to help up his teammate, warily watching as the Robin blob flew through the air giggling merrily.

"I can't believe I made it, Robin, hi!"

Robin looked at the chibi, and his left eyebrow twitched madly under the mask.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked once the stars were gone from his vision.

The chibi gave a confused grunt before smiling up at the team. "I'm, uh, you!"

Beastboy burst out laughing, and Robin turned tomato red, because seriously, this was embarrassing.

Raven, who was the only person left with a straight face, looked at the chibi, then back to Robin. "We're going to need to run some tests."

When the final analysis came up on the holographic screen in the living room with a perfect match, Robin wasn't sure if he should be upset or relieved that this chibi Robin was telling the truth. But in all honesty, he just wanted to bang his head up against the wall.

"Well, the little dude was right, he really is you," Cyborg answered, and Robin glared up at his friend because he could hear the barely controlled laughter. It didn't matter though, 'cause in five seconds the chibi Robin was screaming and bouncing all over the place and tearing the room apart with his explorations.

"Yay! We're DNA buddies!"

The Titans all followed the little guy with their eyes, and Robin felt a tension headache coming along nicely.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Beastboy chased after him along with Starfire. Danny couldn't help but smirk, "At least it's better than deciding to split your personalities into your hero side and your fun side and wear a bed sheet."

There was a story behind that, but right now Robin didn't really want to compare notes on whose experience was worse. Especially now that chibi Robin seemed to have taken a liking to Starfire.

"Stop making a mess!" Beastboy yelled, that coming from BB that was saying a lot.

"The book of Azar is not a toy," Raven growled before snatching it back and promptly magicing it back to her room.

"Could the little guy be your clone?" Danny asked trying to prevent Robin from killing the chibi as he nuzzled a giggling Starfire.

"If someone was trying to clone me, they didn't do a very good job."

The chibi Robin looked mildly offended, "No, not a clone. I'm you! Another you, from another universe."

This caught all the Titans attention. And they watched as Chibi Robin's index finger began to glow a bright yellow like the E.T. finger and suddenly a moving comic strip appeared behind the little guy.

"This is getting freaky," Cyborg whispered before paying attention.

"All the way from dimension four-nine-eight, Robin's double, DNA buddy, and number one fan Nosyarg Kicd!"

Starfire clapped. "Welcome to our universe small amusing doppelganger." And gave the little guy a bone melting hug. The chibi Robin literally had hearts floating around his head and Danny gave their Robin a raised eyebrow. To which the boy wonder flushed.

"…right."

"Yeah, nice to meet you nosy…nuzzy…uh, maybe we should just call you Larry?" Beastboy suggested.

Larry gave a happy cry and proceeded to try out his new name…fifty times that left the team dazed and confused to how off the wall the chibi was. Not to mention he proceeded to make them all a little uncomfortable. Danny especially didn't like it when the little guy came out of his symbol.

"Yeah, um, how do you do all that stuff you did?" Cyborg asked making sure his brain was still functioning properly.

Larry held up his glowing finger and smiled. "Magic finger, bends the rules of reality," he stated, and Danny immediately straightened.

"What?"

The team gave him curious looks at his change, and Danny realized that he needed to explain his suddenly hostile stance. Even Larry looked a little frightened.

"Sorry, but in my experience, bending the rules of all reality isn't a good thing. In anyone's hands, no matter how well intended they are. No offense, Robin," he said looking over to the leader.

The boy wonder shrugged, "None taken."

Larry though had gone still and looked ready to cry. "No, I wouldn't do anything bad I promise! Here let me show you. See, Robin's universe is here, and Larry's is here and I bend the rules so I can watch my hero Robin beat the bad guys all the time. But when he got hurt, I knew Larry could help. So I decided to pop over, but I goofed and popped over inside your noggin. Oops."

"And what if that had killed him?" Danny asked his face stony, and Larry squirmed under the gaze and Robin was grateful the halfa had the guts to point out that fact. Since well, he didn't want to think of himself as being a corpse on the floor right now.

"Alternate dimensions, bending realities, ugh all this science is hurting my brain!" Beastboy exclaimed before throwing himself back on the couch. Cyborg however looked intrigued.

"Well, we already knew about other Earth's and universes. Alternate realities separate from our own."

"Not to mention alternate timelines diverging from our own known reality," Danny pointed out.

"But alternate dimensions? So far the only concrete one we've ever found proof of was the Ghost Zone, everything else was merely theoretical," Robin finished.

"And the Ghost Zone is more like a parallel dimension existing alongside our own Human Zone here on Earth," Danny stated. The three of them now fully engaged in the conversation. Larry, Starfire, Raven and Beastboy watched on with interest.

"But to come across a dimension so similar yet vastly different from our own," Cyborg said looking over to Larry. "It's unheard of. This goes way beyond Dimensional Theory. Not to mention the fact that Larry said there were other dimensions along the way getting here."

"Don't forget the Muti-Verse Theory either. Especially if each separate universe has its own individual dimensions to go along with it," Robin added.

"Plus the fact that each timeline has to be…"

"Okay stop!" Beastboy screamed causing the three teens to jump and look at him. The changeling had a rather panicked expression on his face, "I thought my brain hurt before but now I think it's going to explode!"

Larry promptly opened up Beastboy's skull and stuck a band-aid on it and slammed it shut again startling the entire room into silence. Especially when Beastboy seemed to relax and smile dopily.

"See, Larry's here to help! Now watch me fix up that arm."

Before anyone could stop him Larry transformed Robin's arm into a hockey stick.

"Oops."

Robin looked like he was about to burst an important vein in his forehead when the Tower alarm went off.

"Jonny Rancid, downtown," Cyborg stated, staring at the screen. Everyone turned to Robin who took one look at his busted, now transformed arm and sighed.

"Just go."

As the team filed out Danny held back and seemed to come to a decision before he promptly turned human and walked back over to his friend.

"I think I'll stay here, don't want you to accidentally kill Larry and or change all of reality."

Robin was about to protest when his arm suddenly transformed into a lobster claw followed by a quick 'oops'.

"Good idea," he growled before flipping on the TV to anything but the news.

* * *

><p>The sun had finally set and Robin was still flipping through channels as Larry kept trying to fix his arm. Both he and Danny stopped paying attention to the little guy after two minutes of hearing oops.<p>

"Hey what did you use for the cross stabilization?" Danny asked not looking up from his project on the kitchen counter.

"Thermal and ionic sensors," Robin said. Danny gave thanks then set back to modifying L.I.S.A. as Cyborg had called the device that was stabilizing Danny's electrical field. So you know, he wouldn't accidentally stop his heart with his Lightening power.

Robin looked away from the TV to see Danny stand and stretch, "I know it's a proto type but how are you planning on improving the design?"

"Well right now what you and Cyborg created still allows me the ability to produce lightening by overriding the coils and that's something I don't want to risk."

Larry had gone quiet and was now watching both of the teens, a curious look on his face.

"So essentially you're going to suppress one of your powers completely," Robin stated.

Danny shrugged and headed to the living room doors. "Pretty much. And really if you think about it, my new power is more like a medical condition."

"Type two diabetes?" Robin suggested before smirking. Danny shot him a glare.

"That's real cute. And your arms a lobster claw again."

"Arugh."

Robin could hear Danny chuckling all the way down the hall when Larry suddenly cheered and the Titan looked down to see his thankfully normal arm.

"Kay, this time I'll fix it up just right."

The boy wonder let out a sigh. "Why don't we just let it heal on its own?" he snapped, suddenly wishing Danny hadn't left the room because the tick was coming back in his eye. Larry frowned, and the golden light swirled and the communicator appeared out of thin air.

"Hey, wanna check in with the team on your communicator?"

"They're fine," Robin deadpanned trying to focus on anything but his miniature double. Larry frowned again. "Oh, I bet you want to monitor the mission by computer."

"Not really. And that system is from the nineties," Robin pointed out and if Danny didn't come back soon, Robin was going to do something he would regret later…probably.

"Patch up your R-cycle?"

"No thanks."

"Wanna work out?"

"No."

"Clean your utility belt?"

"No." This little guy had about five seconds before he…

"Alphabetize your crime files? Polish your boomerangs, iron your cape?"

"No, No, No!" Dear God, was he seriously pondering breaking Batman's one rule?

"Hey why is Danny even here?"

This question froze Robin to the core, and his anger evaporated completely.

"What are you talking about? He's a member of the Teen Titans."

Larry's eyebrows creased and his face scrunched up in curiosity.

"But he was never meant to be," the little chibi said innocently.

"What?!" Robin snapped anger burst in his chest and his good arm trembled with the desire to possibly strangle Larry.

Sensing the danger he was in Larry suddenly floated back, instantly nervous because he didn't understand what he'd done wrong.

"Well, it's just he doesn't exist anywhere else, and the other mites in my dimension seemed really nervous when he appeared."

Robin grabbed Larry by his cape and yanked him forward. "Why?" his growl was soft and deadly because he hadn't been able to protect his team from Terra, and he sure as hell wasn't about to lose Danny either.

"I-I don't know, honest. All I heard was something about the balance being wrong and going all wonky."

Seeing that Larry was telling the truth, Robin pushed him away, his mind racing fifty miles per hour. What the heck did Larry mean by Danny shouldn't exist? The little chibi hovered close by, and when Robin shifted his cast, Larry raised his magic finger.

"Just let me fix your arm, please?" he lunged at Robin, and the boy wonder tried to hold him at bay.

"Gah! I said no, cut it out!"

Things quickly deteriorated and soon the two were sprawling across the couch, fighting.

"C'mon!"

"Get that thing away from me!" Robin screamed vaulting over the furniture. Larry lunging after him.

"I can help," he screamed.

Robin finally snapped, "Leave me alone!"

Dropping down Robin hit the ground and kicked up knocking Larry halfway across the room, he hit the ground with a thud as Robin took a defensive stance. It was then Danny walked back in the room, the same moment white cracks began to fan out underneath the little chibi.

"What the…what did you two do?!" Danny yelled at Robin who, with sinking dread, realized that he probably was going to regret this. Especially when Larry sat up and held up his broken magic finger.

"Oops."

They were so screwed.

As the cracks spread Danny transformed and grabbed Larry and flew over to where Robin was standing he had just enough time to raise a shield around them before the Tower lit up like a Christmas tree and white energy shot out from the roof blinding the three of them. Clouds swirled in the air and fanned out like a growing storm, everything beginning to change.

* * *

><p>The Titans were hot on the trail of Johnny Rancid who, for a motorcyclist, was very good at evading them. Cyborg was about to regroup the team, when beams of light converged on the city, heading straight towards them.<p>

"That can't be good," was all Raven said before the light reached them and everyone woke up to seeing their city looking like a child's drawing. Complete with flat red buildings and over colored corners. Standing up, Cyborg scratched the back of his head and watched as a bird which kind of looked like a purple Easter egg chirped on by.

"Uh, why does the entire world look like it belongs on my Grandmother's refrigerator?" he asked.

"This is bad," Raven noted looking down at the daisies walking past her and if she weren't so in control of her emotions she would be having a nervous breakdown at all the happy things floating around. However her mood improved when Beastboy ran past her, minus his mouth.

"Never mind. It's not all bad," she corrected, and the vein in Beastboy's forehead pulsed angrily before he reached up and yanked off her mouth and stuck it on his face.

"Would somebody _please_ tell me what's going on?!" he screamed, and Starfire and Cyborg tried not to laugh because the changeling sounded like Raven. Or at least if she ever decided to let her emotions color her voice.

At BB's exclamation Raven tapped his shoulder and pointed up before she took two steps to the left, right as Robin, Larry and Danny landed on top of him.

Danny and Robin groaned as they sat up while Larry jumped in the air smiling happily.

"We're still alive, yeah!"

And Robin's tension headache was back.

"Robin, Danny!" Starfire exclaimed walking up to them while Cyborg made sure BB was alright.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked.

Robin growled. "Yeah, what happened?" he asked looking to Larry who fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Remember how I can bend reality, well when you pushed me we kind of broke it," he stated.

"Ugh, not again!" Danny groaned. Before he noticed that his hair was a vivid shade of purple and flipped out. "I look like a girl!"

Robin freaked out. "You broke reality!" he screamed, and no, he wasn't hyperventilating, he was merely practicing his deep breathing exercises.

"No, we did, together," Larry corrected and that was so not helping.

The boy wonder yanked Larry forward and hissed, "Fix it. Now."

"Can't. Magic finger is broke too." To this the little chibi smiled apologetically. Robin rushed over to his team.

"Raven, fix his finger."

This seemed to snap Danny out of his hair crisis, "No!"

Raven shook her head in agreement before yanking off Cyborg's mouth and sticking it to her face.

"Not a good idea. Mixing my powers with his could destroy the dimensional boundaries and nullify all of existence."

Well, that was a lot worse than what Danny had thought but still, that wasn't a comforting thought.

"Who cares?! I just want my mouth back!" Beastboy screamed at the sorceress, she smacked him in the back of the head. Larry jumped up between them and gave a big goofy laugh.

"No problem. No problem, if anybody could fix reality it's my hero Robin!" he said before glomping the Titan.

Robin violently pushed him away. "Fix it? What makes you think I know how to fix it? I don't even understand how we broke it!"

"Well that's simple, all we have to do is find the dimensional fissure and let Larry reabsorb his power. In theory, all released energy should flow naturally back into its container being Larry's finder, allowing him to mend the bones and after that he can close up the tear and change reality back to the way it was," Danny stated remembering the Reality Gauntlet and how thoughts controlled the device as equally as the gems that powered it. Robin took a breath and felt relief course through him at this information.

"Then we're heading to Titans Tower," Cyborg stated before they moved out, and as they were walking away Danny looked back to his friend who hadn't moved a muscle. Starfire noticing this as well walked over to Robin and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. Danny turned back around and kept walking.

"Robin, you are feeling okay?"

No. He really wasn't. First Slade, then Terra, the team, and now Danny, everything was falling apart. The people he swore to protect as fiercely as his own family were still in danger, and he couldn't do a thing about it. And now this…why wasn't he strong enough?

"The universe is falling apart because I made another stupid mistake. How would you feel?"

Star's eyes softened, but before she could speak Larry interrupted.

"Look, DNA buddy, now we're cast buddies too."

Robin's answering 'yay' wasn't laced with sarcasm at all.

People were running through the streets now, screaming, trying to get away from the drawings and there in the harbor was the Tower, light still pouring out from the top, shining like a beacon.

"Yes, and I bet you my hero Robin has a plan once we get there!"

"Yeah, Danny's plan. And I'm just hoping we get there before we all go completely insane."

"Dido," Raven replied, and Danny cracked up laughing because her hair was standing up like Frankenstein's wife. He then promptly screamed when he felt his ears turn into to fluffy kitty cat triangles on top of his head.

Cyborg cracked up, "Dude you look like an anime character!"

"Argh!"

"Please, do not despair our goal is in sight, the journey cannot last that much longer." As Starfire said this her head promptly sprouted wings and left her body hopping around beneath her. Beastboy gave a muffled scream and pointed down the street where a green crayon fire breathing dinosaur was coming towards them.

All their jaws hit the floor.

"Actually, this could take a while," Cyborg stated.

"Does anyone else hear Japanese pop music?" Danny asked before the dinosaur gave a roar and charged. The Teen Titans all screamed before promptly taking off in the opposite direction.

The chase scene that followed was ridiculous, and Robin noted that Beastboy had started chasing a lamp post that had teeth stuck to it. Not that he really cared since he and the team still had a fire breathing kids drawing chasing them. And yeah, this was turning out to be a disaster. At one point they resorted to hiding under a flat bridge and it worked, until Larry screamed in delight and the dinosaur found them.

They finally made it to the water and on a boat before it stated leaking and a whale swallowed them whole.

"God this place smells worse than the Lunch Lady's idea of good food," Danny said pawing at his purple cat ears. The team quickly got to work at causing the whale indigestion where he promptly spat the team onto the shore of Titans Tower.

"Yay, we're here, now Robin can save the universe!"

Robin felt his jaw tighten.

Walking up onto the sandy part of the beach Beastboy found his mouth trapped on a rock and gave a muffled cry of joy before slapping it back on.

Starfire managed to put her head back on her body and felt the wings disappear.

"Beastboy, wonderful, you have recaptured your mouth."

Raven paused and turned around, "Yeah, but I think you put on backwards."

"Pleh I t'nac dnatsrednu tahw m'I gniyas!" he screamed. _Help I can't understand what I'm saying!_

As Raven forced her hair back into submission. Danny thankfully realized his ears were back to normal, the purple hair, not so much. When Cyborg reached the door and placed his hand on the scanner the door stuck its tongue out and promptly didn't let them in.

"I knew something like that was gonna happen," he said before Star picked him up while Raven grabbed Robin, and the team flew up to the rooftop.

The light streaming from the helicopter pad was beautiful.

"So how do we close it?" Cyborg asked.

"If what Danny said is correct, then Larry's finger should draw the energy back in," Robin stated.

"Really, but how do I do that?" Larry asked Robin, who glared and was half tempted to say figure it out. Danny noticing this, rolled his eyes and yanked Larry by the cape and pushed him forward.

"It's simple, put your hand in the light and think about telling the power what to do and where to go."

Still seeing the hesitation in his chibi's eyes, Robin gave Larry an encouraging nod, it worked and the little chibi placed his hand in the light which flashed and in a swirl everything came crashing down around them. The clouds disappeared and everything was back to normal with the sun just starting to peek over the horizon.

The Titans all opened their eyes and Beastboy let out a whoop, "Yes! I can speak again!"

"Yeah, can we change that back by any chance?" Raven asked offhandedly to which Beastboy protested.

Larry was beaming at the team. "I did it!"

Robin felt his anger slowly melt away by that happy smile and he chuckled when he noticed Danny sighing in relief at his now ghost white hair.

"Good job, Larry."

The little chibi melted to the floor at Robin's praise.

No one but Danny noticed how quickly Robin's smile slipped.

* * *

><p>"You know, most people would be celebrating the return of all reality," Danny said casually walking into the training room where Robin was doing one arm push-ups.<p>

"Yay."

"Yeah, no sarcasm there. So mind telling me what's up?" Danny asked hopping up onto the balance beam.

Robin's glare seemed to intensify, but he remained silent and Danny decided this conversation couldn't wait any longer.

"It's strange really, Beastboy, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and I have all gotten past Terra, and considering how hurt BB was, that's saying a lot."

Robin flipped and leveled him terrifying glare. "What's your point?"

Danny scowled feeling annoyance burst in his chest. "My point is, you're the only one who isn't dealing. And what happened to Larry is proof of that, I've never seen you this out of control since Slade forced us to work for him, and quite frankly, it's scaring the hell out of me, Rob. You're tail spinning."

Robin was shocked. He hadn't thought anyone would notice. Sure, Starfire did, but she still trusted him to make the right decisions. And yet, here Danny was calling Robin out on his actions. Danny, seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer started to fidget before he let out a sigh.

"Look, I don't care how you deal with it, but you need to. Because I don't want to have to pull you from the wreckage again, got it?" And Robin heard the worry in Danny's voice and suddenly Cyborg's nickname for him popped up in his head, 'Rob'.

"I couldn't protect you guys."

Danny who had been moving towards the door paused and turned around, clearly stunned.

"What?"

Robin frowned and looked down at his cast not wanting to explain but knowing he'd have to now.

"I should have known. The signs were there, I'm the leader and I let myself forget that. I can't truly be friends with anyone on this team, yet that's exactly what happened. You guys are my family and after we fought so hard to help you, I guess I just assumed Terra would be the same way. But she wasn't. And I ignored the facts, and it almost got all of us killed," Robin had to stop talking right then and there because a lump had lodged itself in his throat.

"And now you're left wondering how to balance being a friend and being a leader at the same time," Danny answered sitting down next to him and Robin didn't even realize he had sat down.

But he shook his head, "No, I'm wondering why I can't protect my teammates. My family."

To this Danny went silent before he leaned back against the wall, his ice blue eyes going hazy.

"You know, the Titans are all I have now."

Robin snapped his head around and felt his breath catch, but Danny didn't notice, his eyes were still glassy, "I mean, Fixit is getting on with his life, and he's a great friend but you guys…you're the reason I didn't turn out like Terra. So I get it. Not being able to protect them, I made the same mistake in trusting her because I trusted the Titans first.

But you, Beastboy, Starfire, Cyborg and Raven, you're my family now. And I get that you don't know how to balance being a friend and being a leader, but just try to remember, we're not like Terra. And it wasn't your fault for trusting her, we all did. Next time, we'll have to be more careful that's all."

And when Danny gave him a small smile Robin felt his heart lurch because Danny hadn't called them by their real names. Which now that the boy wonder thought about it, all of them knew pretty much everything about Danny. Heck, they even knew his secret identity, but had any of them once ever considered telling the halfa about their own pasts? Their secrets? And yet, here he was, so openly trusting them now.

"You know that we have other names, identities."

"Garfield Logan, Kori, Victor Stone, and Rachel Roth. Yeah, I know, they told me their names a long time ago."

To this Robin had nothing to say, and it made him wonder why Danny hadn't asked about his secret Id.

"In fact, from what I've gathered the only person who hasn't revealed their secret identity is you."

Danny spoke offhandedly, but Robin still felt himself freeze up on the inside. Because unlike the team if he, Robin a.k.a. Richard Grayson, ever chose to let his name out then that would mean Bruce and Jason's secrets would be found out as well. And no matter how badly he wanted to tell the team who he was, Dick couldn't risk it. He had to protect his secret. He had to protect his first family. And through this whole internal debate, Danny had been watching every expression play out across the boy wonder's features and finally he decided to take pity on his leader's quickly becoming panic attack.

"Hey relax, I know what it's like protecting people other than myself," he said remembering the Little Robin running in the shadows next to Batman. They must be the people Robin was protecting, Danny reasoned.

Like he was doing with the Teen Titans now by keeping Vlad away. Danny thought, before forcibly pushing it away.

Robin let out a breath.

"Thanks."

Danny shrugged. "No problem. And besides, to me, Phantom is the one who has friends he needs to keep safe. Not Fenton. It's strange, a year and a half ago it was the exact opposite and now…"

Robin didn't like the pained expression that crossed his friend's face so he quickly changed topics.

"So, is Larry still here?"

The halfa shook himself back to the present and stood up. "Yep. Apparently, he's trying to fix your bike instead of your arm."

"Joy."

With this the alarm went off, and the two teens quickly headed to the living room where Cyborg was pulling up the specs.

"Johnny Rancid," he answered the unanswered question to Robin's scowl.

"Y'know, I heard psychology works really well against guys like him," Danny replied while Larry floated around begging for Robin to go take down the bad guy.

The Titan's leader smirked.

"Hey Larry, is my bike done yet?"

"Rob, what are you planning?" Cyborg asked suspiciously, the boy wonder gave a frightening smirk.

* * *

><p>The biker was tearing down Main Street when a red bike appeared out of nowhere and cut him off.<p>

"What the…"

Robin looked at him evenly, Larry smiling victoriously. "Larry fixed the bike!"

Johnny had never felt so offended in his life, that thing wasn't a bike it was, it was: "The stupidest thing I've ever seen!"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Robin answered and that pretty much sealed the deal. Johnny's jaw clenched and he raced towards them, the boy wonder yawned just to piss him off even more and right when the biker was on top of him, Robin zoomed out of the way and Rancid was met with the business end of Cyborg's fist.

He collapsed ten feet away in a decent sized crater, and Robin hadn't felt this great in ages.

Back at the Tower, Larry was regaling the team with the details while Danny and Raven finished dinner. Well Danny finished, Raven was merely a glorified helper.

"And then Wham! Johnny never saw it coming."

Starfire burst into giggles. While Beastboy groaned, "Dude, why wasn't I there!"

"Sorry Beastboy, it was only a three man job," Robin replied setting the table, balancing the plates perfectly with one arm.

Larry paused to look at the team laughing together with ease, and he finally felt like his work was about done.

"Well since we beat the bad guy, I guess it's time for me to head home, unless you want help with your arm?" he asked, Robin ruffled the chibi's hair and smiled affectionately.

"Thanks, Larry, but you've helped enough. I'm proud of you."

Mini fireworks exploded in the room, and Cyborg crooned, "Aw, you do care." Beastboy snickered and Robin promised to get the guy back later on.

"Robin, thank you!"

Larry was about to magic himself away when Danny finally remembered what he had been meaning to ask since they fixed reality.

"Wait, Larry! Did you erase the public's memory? Because if you didn't we're going to have a hell of a time explaining this to the mayor and the Justice League."

Larry beamed and puffed out his chest proudly, "Yep!"

Robin sighed in relief. "Thank god." That meant one less report to write.

The entire team relaxed at that and Larry giggled, "Well bye-bye!" And with this he disappeared. After about five seconds, Danny had another question.

"So if you were so proud of him why not let him try and fix your arm?"

Robin scoffed, "And risk getting sent to a fourth dimension? No thanks, I already have to work on getting that extra cart off my wheels."

Danny choked back a snort and set the food on the table, and as Robin watched the halfa take his normal seat next to Raven something tickled at the back of his mind, something Larry had brought up.

"Hey, Danny…"

The halfa looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Never mind," Robin shook his head to clear his thoughts. If it had been important he would remember it later. Danny shrugged and went back to discussing finalizing L.I.S.A. with Cyborg, and Robin dug into his pasta.

* * *

><p>The Clock Tower doors opened, in a flurry three Observants came floating in, their white cloaks billowing around them.<p>

"This has gone on long enough, Clockwork."

The Ghost of Time sighed and turned from his viewing clock to look at the guardians.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked lazily.

"The boy, we should have never allowed him to be put under your charge," One of them spoke.

"You have become too attached to him," Another answered.

"There is a reason the portals between dimensions are becoming easier to make, and he is at the center of it," the last one billowed and Clockwork frowned.

"So quick of you to come to such rash conclusions. Especially when the reason Daniel Fenton was even allowed the loophole of my protection was because you ordered his existence be eliminated from the time stream permanently," he stated calmly, and all three Observants bristled at those words.

"None the less, we cannot allow this to carry on. It was bad enough when the first one was made but now, that boy should never have even met the Titans!"

"The ramifications of this relationship between the halfa and the Teen Titans will be catastrophic," Another Observant boomed.

Clockwork remained silent until the guardians were done before he gave an exasperated smile.

"Very well. If you're so concerned about Daniel's interference than you need not worry," he stated moving back towards the viewing clock, the Observants trailing behind him, curiosity in their Cyclops eyes. They shared a look before turning back to the Master of Time.

"Explain."

The clock shifted and ran with blood, "Because," Clockwork replied simply, "Daniel's time is almost up."

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	35. Chapter 27: Earthquakes

_It's only life..._

"_There's a time and a place to die._

_This ain't it."_

_~Haley Williams_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 27: Earthquakes

"Okay I've got one, why are ducks so funny?" Beastboy asked sitting in the T-Car as Cyborg drove the team to the pizza place.

"Because they're always quaking jokes!"

Danny gave a groan while Cyborg's eye twitched. Robin looked ticked, and Raven practically radiated murderous intent.

"Pull over, I think I'm going to be sick," Raven ordered before pressing her forehead to the cool glass, watching the scenery flash by.

Starfire gasped before she broke out in a smile. "Oh I see. It is humorous because ducks lack the large brain necessary for the telling of jokes."

"Actually Starfire," Robin interrupted while fiddling with his new gauntlets. "It just wasn't that funny," he answered while BB frowned.

"Because Beastboy lacks the large brain necessary for telling jokes," Raven snapped.

"C'mon Raven, you know I'm hilarious, and I'm not going to give up till I get you to smile," he answered crossing his arms in determination. Beastboy's hazel green eyes lit up in joy and everything blurred in and out of focus, the lights shimmering all around the Titans.

"_Danny!"_

Danny jolted awake and felt his scream drown up in blood. Rolling to his side he spat out a mouth full of crimson liquid onto the dirt. The water of the ocean sloshed all around him on the bank of the shore, rocks sheltering him from the rolling tides.

"Wha…where am I?"

Trying to sit up failed miserably and his strength gave out. Especially when firm hands pushed on his shoulders making him sink back into the sand. So not dirt then.

"You shouldn't be moving yet. I'm applying pressure to the wound but I'll need your help bandaging it."

The girl's voice was velvet tinged in panic and when Danny looked up to her he felt everything start blurring in blank shock. His ice blue eyes tracing every detail of his savior.

"How?"

Danny knew her but…

The spray of the sea turned multi colored, and Danny's head spun at hearing the growl in her voice.

"No don't _pass out_."

* * *

><p>"I got it! Why did the aardvark cross the road?"<p>

"To beat up the idiot telling jokes about him?" Raven questioned making Beastboy frown, the team cracked up, laughing at the red light.

"The idiot telling jokes…" Cy trailed off while Danny suppressed another giggle.

"Now that was funny," Robin commented.

Starfire tilted her head in curiosity. "Please, an aardvark is some form of duck?" she asked.

Beastboy sighed dejectedly.

The boulder that slammed into the new T-Car hit them at eighty-miles per hour. The mini SUV came to grinding halt in the intersection and after a moment, green energy exploded out and the blue and white door was blasted away as Starfire stepped out. Cyborg and the others following suit, each door practically coming un-hinged.

"What hit us?" Phantom asked rubbing his head as he unconsciously began to hover off the ground, scanning for danger. When the smoke cleared Beastboy gasped, his voice raw with emotion.

"Terra?"

The smile she gave was all teeth.

"Hi guys, miss me?"

The Titans leapt out of the way when the entire road rolled like waves, destroying the car, flinging concrete and dust around fast as bullets. Coughing through the haze, Danny could hear the sounds of battle raging and the flash of starbolts. But right now he needed to focus on taking out Terra. Danny tried not the winch at the stab of pain it induced in his heart.

"Man, since when could she do that?" Cyborg yelled, and Danny had just enough time to realize there were things moving in the cloud other than the Titans.

"Get down!"

Cyborg didn't even hesitate at Danny's order. He went down into a crouch right as an ecto-beam slammed into the monster behind him made up of earth, and Terra's neurological powers. The beast went down and was met with Cy's cannon.

Flying ahead Danny could make out Raven's shadow lurking ahead. Her back facing him as she glared at the figure in front of her, eyes dangerously white, palms unnaturally black.

"Don't make me hurt you," she growled.

The former Titan tilted her head and gave a malicious smile, "Don't make me laugh."

Terra's eyes went gold, breaking Raven's magical hold of the boulder with ease and sent it straight at Danny instead. And even though he went intangible, Danny could feel the aura of Terra's power burn through him. Raven let out a roar and tried to attack again, only to be forced back by two of the earth monsters.

The entire battle seemed to drag on and none of the Titans felt as if they were taking ground. Instead, it felt as if they were giving it. With every failed attempt to attack Terra, with every hesitation, their heart's ruptured, and Beastboy knew it was only a matter of time till they fell.

He just didn't know who would go first: Cyborg, who was pinned to the road by a monster's sewage pipes. Robin was analyzing the situation while dodging three monsters who were backing him into a corner. Danny, who was fighting five sludge things draping over him like cooling tar. Raven, who was staggering, barely dodging blows by throwing up small shields around her. Or Starfire whose eyes were electric green and vivid in pain every time she destroyed another monster all the while looking like she was dealing deal blows to Terra instead of these heartless things.

In an instant, Robin jumped up onto the building wall, pivoting and in a feat of acrobatic grace, landed ten feet away from those smelly things. He only had seconds before they reformed into the road and used the ground beneath him to rematerialize.

"Titans, fall back!" He ordered throwing smoke bombs Terra's way. The girl gave a cry and the beasts crumbled from her momentary lack of concentration. The team didn't waste any time to regroup, and the second they had each other's hands, Danny teleported them back to the safety of the Tower. Beastboy only caught a glimpse of hatred in Terra's dark blue eyes before the light engulfed him.

"_For the love of…Danny, wake up!"_

The halfa jolted awake at the sting of a palm slapping his face, and he felt his heart clench when he met those angry amethyst eyes.

"Why should I? You're not real."

The girl in question brushed aside her onyx black hair that had been disturbed from the sea breeze and huffed.

"So what? I'm whatever you want me to be."

Danny snorted, "I highly doubt I have any say in that, _Sam_."

The corners of the young woman's lips twitched in a smile as she watched Danny brace himself up onto his elbows, his ice blue eyes stained with pain.

"True. But right now we need to focus on that wound or you'll keep on bleeding out. So congratulations, I know you've probably had a maid fantasy of me."

Danny felt his skin come alive where Sam pressed her palm against his neck and he looked up to where she sat beside him, eyes mischievous, and her hair fanning around in a halo of black mist. Danny found himself blushing for no reason.

"Since you're a figment of my imagination then you know I'm not going to answer that."

"Even so, this figment is going to help you survive, got it?"

Danny took one look at the wound in his side, to the blood long past soaked in the sand and shuttered from the onslaught of agony.

"Got it."

The ocean roared and the droplets of water cascaded around them in striking colors far brighter than the light spectrum could ever create.

* * *

><p>They were in the Tower's greeting foyer at the front doors, everyone numb and silent. Cyborg sat in one of the many chairs with a pair of tweezers and a Petri dish, removing the shrapnel from his arms. Each of the sharp teeth hitting the glass with a high pitched <em>tink<em>. Danny gazed blankly ahead, eyes unseeing, unconsciously floating again. He mentally cursed at himself before his feet hit the ground with a _thunk, _causing Starfire to look up at him from where she sat on the stairs. Those forest green eyes darker than oblivion.

"Why…" Star's voice caught and she swallowed thickly, "Why did I permit her to torment me so? Those monsters, they weren't her."

No one answered and Raven felt something burn around her eyes, "I should have hit her with everything I had."

Danny winced, "But you didn't. None of us did."

And from his position leaning up against the wall, Robin finally snapped, "But why? Why couldn't we take her down like any other criminal?"

Danny was about to answer him when Beastboy cut him off, from where he stood in front of the doors. Looking to them like they would open and Terra would come walking in, an easy smile on her face.

"Because she's not just another criminal, she's Terra. She was a Titan, she was our friend."

The air became heavy and Raven whirled around to glare at Beastboy, her eyes coal black, harsh and unforgiving.

"Terra was never our friend. She was a liar and a spy sent here by Slade to destroy us. She's evil. Always has been, always will be."

Beastboy's shoulders tensed and he rounded on Raven, stalking up to her, not noticing how the sorceress's hands were trembling.

"You don't know what you're talking about okay, Raven. She's made some serious mistakes but she's not…"

"Hey man, the girl wrecked my car, seems pretty evil to me," Cyborg informed cutting off the teen.

The table between the two Titans went flying, and Danny was putting his hand on Beastboy's shoulder, feeling disconnected from the entire event unfolding, even as he told BB to cool it.

Beastboy looked at him and yanked away. "This isn't a joke. I knew her better than anyone. I know all the terrible things she's done, and I know exactly how messed up she is. But she's not evil. We can't just give up on her."

The rest of the team was shocked. Everyone weighting the changeling's words with the upmost care. Before Robin stepped forward, knowing that this needed to be voiced.

"Beastboy, she's working for Slade. That isn't something you can merely walk away from."

"When you and Danny were working for Slade, did we give up on you?" Beastboy shot back glaring defiantly up at his leader, and Robin remembered the time the changeling yelled at him by Pier forty-one, dried blood flecking his gloves.

"She gets one last chance. One. We have to break Slade's grip on her. We have to try to get Terra back."

The alarms went off, blaring, filling the Tower with flashing red, the team suited up. Robin pulling up the city's map, and Danny prayed Beastboy was right about Terra. That he truly had seen all of her. Even the murderous intent in those dark blue eyes at the old theme park ground.

"Titans, there's been a break in at the Maximum Security Prison. Plasmius, Cinderblock and Overload have all been freed by Terra," Robin stated pulling up camera feeds.

No one tried to let that knowledge affect them as Robin shifted, pulling up satellite images monitoring where the three beasts were heading.

"Cyborg and Beastboy you have Plasmius, Starfire and I will take Cinderblock, Danny and Raven you have Overload. Titans, go!"

They really tried.

Raven and Danny were outside the Tower watching their friends break off to go after their assignments when the halfa felt his core tremble then tighten, forcing a blue wisp of smoke to escape his mouth.

"Oh no."

"What is it?"

Danny met Raven's violet eyes steadily and took a fortifying breath.

"Can you handle Overload alone? We have an extra guest."

Regarding Danny silently, Raven took in how her friend's shoulders were coiling, his palms clenching into fists as his eyes seemed to glow brighter and brighter, gathering power. She could feel the emotions gathering behind his stone wall, something was coming and for whatever reason, Danny wanted her gone.

"I can, meet up once you're done."

"Alright."

In a swirl of black, Raven was gone. Replaced by a pitch black bird soaring across the ocean. Danny waited till she disappeared into the cityscape before launching into the sky. Heading up into the fluffy white clouds, until they turned ominous around him in a water filled fog.

"I know you're here, Vlad."

A shadow moved in the light particles. Danny didn't even feel the blow till he was careening towards the ocean.

* * *

><p>Officer Blake kept counting down the minutes till his shift was over and he could get out of the particle accelerator room and head home. It had been another boring night when the air seemed to charge and his partner shifted nervously beside him.<p>

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Blake asked flicking on the thermal vision in his helmet, scanning the room. A crackle filled the room and sparked blue faster than lightening.

"I thought I heard something."

"Scanners aren't reading anything, relax probe, probably an energy spike," Blake drawled when the entire room seemed to come alive like an exposed wire. Electricity soaring around them, flowing in between the metal faster than water. Everything went haywire and soon Overload was materializing. Blake felt his heart hammer as he and the other guards opened fire.

Their guns were ripped from their hands by a simple magnetic pull, and Blake watched as Overload dissolved them before his partner was yanking him through the door. _Man, the new guy deserved a raise, _was Blake's only thought as the doors slammed closed and the alarms sounded.

Raven followed the alert signal predictably to a research building and let her form spread out till she encompassed the entire room. The pulse of electrical energy slipping around her trying to destroy. Tampering down her emotions Raven pulled into being, solidifying herself as the electrical monster screamed.

"Overload, you ready for a total black out?" she growled and alright, so she was getting annoyed. He fired and soon Raven was pushing her magic forward in a shield, launching it at him, it started to wrap around him when Overload hummed and dispersed into the circuitry. He was traveling fast, using the wires as his road map and leaving Raven staring at a maze of possibilities.

"Ah!"

Her nerves jolted as Overload struck her from behind, sending her flying. Anger. And right now Raven didn't mind it, seconds passed, and she was twisting in the air to face the being half in, half out of the wall.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

* * *

><p>The chemical plant Beastboy and Cyborg were walking through was dark, huge, and filled with rows upon rows of chemical vats a sick green color. And you know that feeling you get when the bad guy is behind you. Was exactly the sensation crawling up Cyborg's spine as both he and BB whirled around to stare up into a giant vat connected into the ceiling, bubbling innocently. And the second they turned around the lid gave a screech and out came Plasmas spitting acid at them, Cyborg barely managing to dodge.<p>

"Great, now he spits acid."

Beastboy growled. "Let's just get this done," he snapped transforming into a pterodactyl before picking Cyborg up and setting to work.

* * *

><p>The flash disk stunned Cinderblock making him see double of the boy wonder till Robin's boot slammed him squarely in the face. Sending the rock monster tumbling backwards as Robin landed nearby on the construction equipment, Starfire hovering next to him, her fists electric green.<p>

"He is, unquestionably persistent," Starfire stated watching the big lummox stand up and shake his head, Robin scowled.

"But why? There's nothing to capture, nothing to steal. Why did Slade send him here?" Robin questioned before leaping out of the way.

* * *

><p>The ocean water surged all around Danny as he resurfaced and above him, Vlad stood, floating in the air while the last sliver of sun disappeared from the sky.<p>

"You knew I was here? Why Daniel, what an astute observation. But really, I must say I can't believe you haven't figured out my plan yet."

Danny flew up to his level and glared, "Let me guess, make me your apprentice and take over the city."

Vlad gave a wicked smile at that and his voice dropped menacingly, "Oh, not the city my dear boy, _the world_." His red eyes danced.

The way those words rolled off his forked tongue sent shivers down Danny's spine that he resolutely crushed.

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"Oh, my dear boy, you won't get the chance to. Not when you lose everyone again."

Danny froze for a mili-second before he slammed into Vlad at his top speed and they fought. Each hit a thunder-clap in the sky, their ecto-powers flashing. Vlad snarled and turned into ten and Danny countered with eight. Power crackled around them and the young halfa felt his every breath being pulled out from him as he focused on the original of his arch-enemy.

"I won't let you harm my friends!"

Vlad laughed but felt his shoulder get singed from the ghostly wail sent his way, it made his blood boil, "Why Daniel, I didn't know you had it in you. Two can play at that game."

Danny watched as Vlad's form fell apart in golden molecules, moving around the battle field faster than his eyes could follow. This was new, and Danny felt the familiar panic grip him as he put together this new power because the way the light moved… Vlad could see him. He could track him, this wasn't teleportation, one of his clones barely had time to yell a warning before the light re-solidified, and Danny teleported one foot away missing a blow to his neck and countering with a solid kick to Vlad's chest that made his leg jolt in pain from the force.

Rocketing after him Danny felt the last of his clones return to him with their tasks complete, he was almost upon Vlad when the man twisted in mid air, and wrapped a hand around his windpipe.

Plasmius watched with satisfaction as Daniel struggled in his grasp, his breath coming out is gasps as he tried in vain to break Vlad's iron hold on his neck. So much potential, if only the teen could see it. _No matter, _the business man thought, in a matter of moments Vlad would have his checkmate.

"You really should have taken my offer to protect your friends when you had the chance, Daniel. Now we get to sit back and watch as Slade destroys this city and claims the Titans' lives for the grave."

Danny choked in panic, white spots dancing behind his eyelids.

"What's that, little badger?" Vlad's red eyes glittered, and Danny managed to glare.

"Jus-tice…Le-gue, ah!" Danny gagged as the hand around his throat tightened with the fruitloop's mad snarl.

"Not a chance." And Vlad wrenched Danny away before kicking him so hard the young halfa felt it from his head to his toes. He went sailing through the darkened sky with no idea what was up or down, or even where he was, when Vlad let out an startled roar that took Danny a couple of minutes to decipher. His body working furiously to the get air back into his lungs.

"_No! The shield has activated too early!"_

Shield. Danny wobbled in the sky, feeling disoriented and the strong need to hurl, when he realized what Vlad was talking about. The entire city, spanning out into the bay and till twenty feet in front of him, was covered in by a green ghost shield, Vlad on the wrong side.

It would give Danny only seconds to recover before Vlad turned human and came over to resume their fight, when none of this happened Danny felt his insides freeze up.

"Why can't you get in?"

Vlad gave him a scathing look, his entire aura flaring in rage, "Think Daniel, I've used this on you before. I merely improved the design and gave it to a friend."

Realization hit Danny, no. "The human-ghost shield, you sold it to Slade."

"Lent is more like it."

Danny was at the edge of the dome before he even realized he'd moved, when his fist only met the green resistance he tried not to howl in despair. He couldn't get out which meant no one could. The city, everyone was trapped.

Vlad sighed in exasperation as if seeing Danny's reaction was nothing more than a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.

"Really Daniel, did you really think you could get through? But I better get going, seeing as you won't be here much longer. Our fight must be put on hold."

With a swirl of the white cape Vlad was gone, and not a millisecond later, on the horizon Danny could make out a flash of scarlet. Superman. Rocketing towards the city, and the young halfa hated himself so much for hoping that maybe, the Man of Steel could penetrate this shield. When he hit the wall it momentarily deafened the young halfa, and he was left staring wide eyed and helpless at Superman. The Kryptonian mirroring his expression of hopelessness, before schooling it into that of a battle ready leader. But Danny had seen it. And that meant as of this moment, the Teen Titans were completely alone.

"Phantom, I need you to listen to me," Superman said cutting into Danny's thoughts but the halfa met the alien's blue eyes and Kal-El watched fierce determination and self-sacrifice settle in those glowing green eyes. A look the boy was clearly familiar with, so much so, that Kal lurched forward, ignoring the way the ghost shield tried to burn his iron flesh.

"I can't. The Titans need me, tell Batman to look under Project Sanctuary."

"Danny!" Kal yelled, watching the boy shoot through the sky, towards the city and never in his life had Superman felt so human in this uniform with all his powers still intact. So many people were screaming: the dead thumps of robots overpowering the police, the sound of the Titans fighting, of hearing Robin's panicked cry for his friend Starfire. Never before did Kal think he could feel like Clark Kent. He punched the barrier with a roar, because what good was Superman when he couldn't even protect the next generation of heroes?

* * *

><p>Raven hit Overload with every pipe of water in the computer room till he was nothing more than a soaking wet RAM disk.<p>

"Why did Slade send you here, what was your target?" The pipes suddenly shot Raven with mud colored water, slamming her into the far wall, dragging her down to the ground as a laugh rang around the room.

"Hello? Does the word decoy mean anything to you?" Terra answered and Raven stood up to see her former friend striding towards her on muddy water, now ankle deep all around them.

"We had to find some way of coercing you cowards out of hiding." She stated picking up Overload and storing him in her back pocket.

Raven's fists turned black. "Terra," she snarled.

"Raven," Terra sneered looking down at her from her nose.

"Traitor."

Terra's eyes went gold as she lost her composure, "Witch."

Both launched into the air, fighting with gold and black fists till Raven's dirt covered foot kicked Terra down into the mud water now thigh deep. Gold eye blazing, Terra lunged and dragged Raven into the mud, pinning her shoulders before grabbing a fistful of hair, yanking her out of the water.

Raven gave a small cry of fury and zapped Terra away with a magic strike, the girl landed with a splash in the water while Raven caught her breath. Trying to get her roaring emotions under control.

Terra rose, sharp rocks forming as Raven took to the air using the metal sheets as cover, the room steadily falling to pieces.

A rock fist came at Raven, she threw the entire particle accelerator at Terra, it exploded going up in flames and mud, leaving Raven panting in fury. With a crack, the Titan fell from the sky at Terra's hammer, she landed in the mud that now stained every inch of her. Terra standing in front of her, dripping in it, smiling daggers at Raven.

"You know Raven, I never liked you."

Those words cut so deep Raven tried to ignore hearing the chiming laughter as her friend suggested eating at Luigi's.

"I never even wanted to know you," Raven shot back, not feeling the gut twisting pain of remembering Terra buying her Elphaba's hat.

"You may have fooled the others, but I always knew you were a liar."

She couldn't afford to feel sadness.

Terra who had been mindlessly flicking off mud from herself paused and smiled a sharp smile.

"Oh really?" She asked stepping forward, the mud flaking off from her like paper. "Is that why you let me live in your house, steal all of your secrets and…"

"Shut up!" Raven screamed, a wall of mud surging towards Terra, who walked effortlessly through it before the mud ropes slammed into the Titan.

Raven was trembling, every inch of her power bubbling up to her emotions, to her fury.

"Not getting mad are you, Rae?" Terra asked teasingly, a little mud ball contorting to look like Raven's face.

"Oh better be careful, Beastboy told me all about your temper tantrums," Terra sang, the blood in Raven's body boiled making it hard to hear past the roaring in her ears.

"Anger is pointless, my emotions are under control," Raven managed to hiss out.

Only they weren't, watching Terra make Starfire laugh so easily, making Beastboy smile.

"Meh, meh, meh, anger is pointless and you're calling me a liar?!" Terra yelled the mud ball face distorting until it was nothing and Raven screamed on the inside.

Raven blindly ran forward and was grabbed by the ankle of one mud fist, the water rushed into her mouth, scraping down her throat.

"C'mon Raven, what stings the most? That I tricked you?" Terra asked walking down the floating rock steps, sliding the last few feet till she was so close Raven could feel the tumble of blonde hair across her shoulders.

"Stop it."

"That I nearly wiped out your team?"

Raven squeezed her eyes shut.

"That everyone liked _me _better than _you_?"

_"Stop it."_ Cyborg and Robin and Danny laughing at one of Terra's pranks.

"Or is it that deep down inside you really believed I was your friend?"

She had been happy.

Raven's four blood red eyes snapped open and she roared, her form rose as she glared down at Terra.

"I trusted you, we trusted you, we gave you everything and you treated us like dirt!" Raven yelled, Terra dodging the black debris with a wicked smile.

With two glowing fists Terra let the mud swirl around Raven and start dragging the girl down till she watched one of her best friend's begin to drown.

"Who's in control now?" Terra asked feeling the gratification so sweet at having twisted the blade in her friend.

Raven's fearful amethyst eyes were the last thing Terra saw of her friend.

* * *

><p>Cyborg and Beastboy were about to take down Plasmius when the building began to shake and Cy only had time to push BB out of the way before the ground opened up and then he was falling into darkness.<p>

Beastboy struggled to hold onto the cliff side in the warehouse, when he heard the clunk of boots and there was Terra, standing above him, her eyes pure gold.

"Hope you're not expecting a good-bye kiss."

"Terra you can't," BB whispered, not understanding what was happening. Because this was Terra and he…

The girl smiled and her aura blazed like a wrathful goddess.

"Watch me," and with the flick of a wrist, the earth closed up over him and started pressing closer, crushing him. Beastboy had no choice but to let go and fall into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Robin was speeding towards the warehouse where Beastboy and Cyborg's signals had last been transmitting. Praying that they were alright. The image of Starfire going over the cliff side scorched his mind's eye before he resolutely pushed it back. Instead he focused on the blonde headed girl leaving the chemical plant.<p>

He tapped into the mic system in his helmet, and Terra's satisfied voice filled the speakers.

"I know, four Titans down, two to go."

Robin jumped the curb on his bike and soared over Terra's head, the girl watching on in startled fear. He lunged and slammed Terra into the ground, pinning one arm behind her back so high it wouldn't take much to dislocate her shoulder.

"Don't move," he growled.

"What's the matter Robin? Feeling lonely since I exterminated all of your friends," she spat, her eyes feral.

Robin snarled and pressed down harder, "They were your friends too."

"I don't need any friends."

"What did we ever do to make you hate us so much?" Robin demanded watching the rage contort Terra's glass face.

"You were born."

Her eyes went gold and the ground exploded beneath them, Robin tumbled backwards, righting himself to glare at the girl opposite him. Everything in him rebelled against pausing, Bruce's voice in the back of his mind demanding he stay alive. But he ignored it all, choosing to remember one of his only friend's broken hearted face.

"I promised Beastboy I'd give you one last chance and this is it."

Robin lunged and soon the two were engaged in a martial arts battle, Terra blocking and paring with moves she couldn't have perfected in only a small handful of months. It was fast, their movements blurring together until Robin caught Terra's smaller wrist and spun her around, slamming her into the fence. The warehouse in front of them, its dark tinted windows revealing them like pale reflections.

"Look at yourself, Terra! Is this really what you want to be?!" Robin yelled before the land underneath his feet turned slippery, Terra pivoted, and Robin found himself up against the chain

link fence, cold metal biting into his skin.

"I'm just never going to be good enough for you, am I?" Terra snarled. Robin ran up the fence and back flipped over the girl, getting distance between them as Terra rose high up in the air on her earth column. Robin threw three exploding disks and watched it crumble to the ground, his friend along with it.

She stood up, rocks floating dangerously around her while she rubbed her bruised arm.

"You don't belong with Slade."

Terra's one visible eye flashed, "You don't know anything about me." An accusation in her voice let Robin know full well she blamed him for something. She threw the rocks at him, and he ran straight into the threat with practiced ease, taking them out with his bo staff till he kicked in the girl's stomach. Sending Terra sprawling onto the ground. Robin stood above her his staff level with her heart.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Terra. I was Slade's apprentice once, I got out, so can you."

Terra looked up at him and glared, "I don't need you to save me."

"You can only save yourself."

Those words made unexplainable fury pool knots in Terra's stomach and she felt her eyes bleed gold, "I don't need saving!" With a kick, his staff was broken in two, Robin sprang away in a double flip. The earth trembling beneath his feet as Terra stood and unclipped a pouch on the side of her leg, pulling free and wicked long knife, serrated along the edges, shaper than fangs.

"I'm not some sad little girl, who's waiting to be rescued," Terra spat.

As she said this the ground cracked, steam being set free, clouding Robin's vision.

"I wanted to be this way. I wanted to go with Slade. I wanted to annihilate you and your _pathetic _friends," she hissed, slashing out at him.

Robin pulled out his escrima sticks and felt the knife cut into the metal as he held the blade at bay. Terra's body having far more strength than what she should possess.

"And now, I never want to see your face again," she snarled her face inches from his, and almost in slow motion, Robin saw Terra's blade turn gold. And with a click and release, a second hidden blade fell between the two. Robin began to turn, preparing to counter when the ground trapped his feet, jolting his balance. His heart kept pounding away in his chest, Terra caught the second blade, her aura all around them.

And the next thing Robin knew, he was being slammed into the ground. There was a strange squelching noise, one he had heard far too many times on the streets of Gotham, and when he looked up, Phantom was standing where he had been. One arm blocking Terra's blade from his heart, ectoplasm dancing in his palm. The other behind him from where he had pushed Robin out of the way, and there, buried all the way to the hilt, gold power still humming around it, was Terra's knife. In Danny's abdomen. Red blood pouring from the wound.

"No."

Both Terra and Danny seemed frozen in shock. Until in almost agonizing slow motion, Terra reached down, Danny making a small noise and pulled the blade out. Her eyes watching every flickering reaction the halfa made.

"No!"

Robin raced forward to catch his falling friend, dark crimson running quicker than water through Phantom's white gloved fingers.

"Danny, no!"

Terra stumbled backwards, her eyes on Phantom's form, then to the knife in her hand, covered in his blood and her aura.

She looked up and watched as Robin elevated his friend's head and tried to stanch the bleeding from the gaping hole in his side, yelling at his friend to stay awake even as those glowing green eyes looked glassy up at the sky.

"Damnit Danny! C'mon, stay awake. You're a halfa. You shouldn't be bleeding like this!" Robin screamed his voice breaking in odd intervals, like he couldn't understand how a knife wound could be so deadly. Terra felt her insides clench, her heart seeming to match the pace of how fast the pool of blood was growing.

"_Finish them," _Slade's voice cut in through Terra's com. link and with it, a sense of cool detachment settled over her. With a flick, Danny was hurtled over the cliff side. Before Robin could react, Terra smashed a boulder into the Titan leader's head.

"I said you'd be the last, Robin," she smiled at the strange sight before her, Robin lying eerily quiet and still, unconscious on the ground. One drop of blood slipping down his temple, rolling down his forehead into a pool of blood. She'd killed him, all of them, and her hands weren't even dirty. Stepping forward, Terra ripped off the symbol on the boy wonders chest and let the earth swallow him whole. Turning from the Cliffside, Terra never thought to pick up the stained metal buried in the ground.

* * *

><p>Robin woke to a light in his eyes and what felt like an egg on the side of his head.<p>

"What?"

"Relax, you are safe." A cool voice answered before his mind registered that it was Fixit hovering over him, the team a few feet away. Everyone looked worn and weathered. Gingerly, Robin sat up keeping his focus on not letting the world dizzily swirl before him.

"You guys are alright?"

"Yeah man," Cyborg answered, stepping forward. "Fixit managed to locate all of us. Looks like you were the one who got banged up the most," he stated, while Fixit moved away from the examination table in Bookstore's underground lab.

Raven lowered her hood, revealing dark purple bruises underneath her black uniform. "Have you seen Danny? Fixit couldn't get a lock on his communicator, and I can't sense him."

It was then Robin noticed how tense his friends were, like they weren't trying to jump to conclusions but already knew something was wrong.

"I…" Robin moved to run a hand through his hair and then saw the blood, dried, staining the gauntlets till they looked dark green.

Everything seemed to crash down and come into focus all at once, and Robin lost his ability to speak. Or possibly even think.

"Robin?" Starfire asked.

"He is going into shock," Fixit's mechanical voice said, sounding distorted, only Raven's sharp cry of agony pulled him back and looking up Robin could see Raven trembling, hands covering her mouth, tears starting to roll down her skin. Ten beakers behind her exploded.

No one had to ask.

* * *

><p>Well after Robin managed to choke out what happened, after Starfire had nearly destroyed one wall from her wails, once Beastboy was done sitting silently in a corner, his eyes holding a pain to great to describe as fully human. Cyborg took a breath and pushed off from the wall before reaching out to take Raven's hand and squeeze, pulling her out of meditation.<p>

Her eyes were blank, but Cy knew enough not to let it fool him, not when he knew he was doing the same thing. Slowly, the teen looked at his friends.

"No more chances."

The anger was sharper than any knife Terra used, exactly how he wanted it to be, watching the effect it had on his friends.

Starfire stepped forward, and her fists and eyes lit up in inhuman grace. "No more trust."

"She's a murderer and a criminal," Beastboy stated.

"So no more mercy," Raven replied.

Robin pulled on the new set of gauntlets he'd been working on, the green material holding three compartments on each wrist. The design sleek, the Kevlar tri-weave more durable and flexible than ever before. Free of blood.

"And we're going to stop her, no matter what it takes."

With this all of them stood, heading towards door and out into Danny's small apartment where Fixit sat on the couch. The play Hamlet open on the coffee table, the robot staring off into nothing. Robin gave a nod to his team and they headed up the stairs, leaving the two alone. After a moment, Robin knelt down in front of the elder robot and met those solid ocean blue eyes.

"I'm sorry." It was all he could say.

Fixit let out a pained sound before the blue lines on his forehead lifted in confusion.

"Why? You did not raise the blade, you are not at fault."

Robin looked away, a lump in his throat making it hard to swallow. "No, but Danny pushed me out of the way. I should be,"

"Don't." The steal in Fixit's voice startled Robin. Because for a second all he heard was Bruce when he was eight years old, and the man was looking him in the eyes, telling him he wasn't at fault, only Tony Zucco. That Fixit held the same tone made Robin's entire chest clench painfully. Fixit picked up the play and put it back on the shelf.

"I've tapped into your communicator's frequency so I'll be able to monitor the situation. I've also managed to hack into Slade's. If you want to catch this girl, I suggest you get moving."

Robin nodded. "And the generators creating the ghost shield?"

"They're inside the force field, heavily guarded but I'll look into it."

"Alright, keep me posted." Fixit watched the teen dart up the stairs before stepping into the center of the apartment and five holographic screens and keyboards appeared. The Teen Titans' voices all filtering in through their com. links.

"Terra is currently on Main Street, east blvd." Cyborg stated.

"I'm patching you into Slade's radio frequency now," Fixit replied and as the Titans ran to the location, all of them listened intently to the Master and Apprentice speak.

* * *

><p>Danny screamed as Sam continued to apply pressure to his wound. The salt from the ocean stinging already flaming nerves as they made their way up the bank.<p>

"Breathe, Danny. Listen to my voice."

"Why, Sam? You're not real," he replied bitterly. Another wave crashing over them, jerking both teens to the ground as the tides continued to grow, the water needles on skin.

Sam coughed, her eyes rimmed in red from pain. "For the love of…why is it that you're the one who's half-dead. Yet I'm the chick who believes in the afterlife beyond the Ghost Zone?" she growled pulling them forward after getting a better grip on Danny's arm slung over her shoulders.

It was so real Danny wondered if he were dreaming, before her words caught up with him and he laughed, "So if you're a ghost, how come I didn't sense you?"

"Because I'm a spirit."

"Right."

Sam shot him a scathing look for the sarcasm.

"For the sake of argument, can you just accept that I'm real?"

Danny looked at Sam while trying not to let his feet drag too much in the rough sand.

"Alright, so what brings you to town?"

"I got parole for good behavior," she quipped as Danny managed to take two more steps. The pain so insistent it blotted his vision in strange places.

"Do you have to wear white?" Danny found himself asking because really, if he was going to talk with his hallucination he might as well enjoy it.

"Nah, some angels threw a fit though. Grandma Ida says hi by the way."

"What? When did she die?"

Sam was about to answer when the water slammed into them and both teens hit the cliff wall, the jagged black oil rocks digging into their skin. Both came away with cuts and scrapes and Danny heard Sam hiss at no one in particular that Danny didn't need to be losing anymore blood.

"Sam, um I'm alright, really."

The look she gave him would have made the devil flee. "No, you're not. Now come on, it's time to do some rock climbing."

The halfa took one look at the cliff wall and shuddered.

"I'm going to bleed to death before I even get half way up, Sam," Danny stated, desperation filling his heart, the pain in his stomach choosing at that moment to reassert itself.

"I know, which is why I'm here to help," Sam answered and with this she climbed, pausing to find a foot hold before looking back down, extending her hand.

Every doubt in Danny's mind screamed at him not to take it. He reached for Sam with no hesitation and felt cool, strong fingers wrap around his wrist and pull. It was worse than hell, and Danny was sure he'd lost consciousness a couple of times but together they climbed.

* * *

><p>The streets were filled with soldiers marching down the abandoned streets, citizens scrambling to find shelter anywhere they could. Fixit carefully mapping out the monitored areas while the Titans slid silently among the shadows. Slade's voice on their one way com. links.<p>

"_A world without Titans. I was beginning to think I'd never see the day. But at long last the city is ours and the victory is mine. Fine work, apprentice, you have made me very proud."_

"_Thanks. It was fun," _Terra answered flying quietly over the city on her rock platform, hands on her hips, the clunk, clunking noise of the machines below. Moving through the fog next to the destroyed roof of the Titan's favorite pizza place, she paused momentarily to survey the surroundings. Ignoring the children hiding under one of the tables.

"Sector five is secure. Pretty quiet since all the people went into hiding," she commented turning away, never looking back, missing the way a black bird encompassed the brother and sister before disappearing completely into the mist.

"_Get used to it, my dear. This city is only the first of many_," Slade stated while Terra flew lower to the streets.

"I know."

Terra swept past an old bank, the doors now wide open. One where the Titans had captured Mumbo Jumbo, they laughed while Danny had given her a high five.

She flew through the fog and the armies like a lone general, head down cast, the wind moving through her wheat colored hair gracefully.

Finally, Terra came to the edge of the city overlooking the bay. Titans Tower a dull glow under the green dome shield.

"Well, we did it. They're really gone."

The black magic came out of nowhere, snaking around a robot while an exploding disk decimated another, sending Terra to the washed out street in shock, groaning in pain.

"_Apprentice report, what's going on?"_

Terra lifted her head in horror, "I don't…" she gasped and slid away in denial, "No! I destroyed you? You're all supposed to be dead!" She screamed.

"_Terra, attack now!"_Slade ordered and blindly she struck out where the shadows had been but when the fog was blown away, revealed only nothing.

The former Titan backed away, her eyes darting every which way, to the snarl of a running wolf, to the light footsteps of someone wanting to be heard before they disappeared into air. Terra didn't know where to look when she felt a metal fist slam in between her shoulder blades sending her five feet away and into the pavement. She hadn't even regained her balance before a starbolt slammed into her.

Every shadow soon became a silhouette and throwing her fists down, Terra felt the earth rise as she tried to get away, it exploded at the black and yellow disks impact. No one paused, an attack coming from one angle to the next, brutally sending Terra to the ground till she didn't know when they would stop. Shaking, Terra dragged her feet underneath her, ignoring Slade yelling at her through the com. link.

Terra stood and saw Cyborg's form coming at her, but a giant black bird snatched her from behind with its claws. She screamed letting her power uncurl, earth rocketing forward forcing the bird with blood gem eyes to let go. Terra didn't even recover her breath before a wolf slammed into her, dropping both teens to the street again.

The wolf kept snarling from the fog, Terra felt herself beginning to panic looking at her friend.

"Beastboy, stop! Aren't you even going to talk to me?" she asked, her heart in her throat.

"There's nothing left to say," came Cyborg's frigid voice on her left side, his silhouette pitch black.

She jerked around as all five shadows surrounded her.

"You attempted to annihilate us," Starfire snarled, unearthly green mixing around in the water particles.

"Did you think we wouldn't take it personally?" Raven sneered.

"It's over Terra, consider this retribution for killing our friend," Robin answered.

Terra whirled around looking at all five shadows before she slammed her fist into the earth and shot away into the sky, terror in her eyes.

Slowly the Titans emerged, watching her flee.

"She seems quite scared," Starfire stated her expression unreadable.

"Scared isn't the same as sorry," Raven snapped.

"I don't care how she feels. Terra's a dangerous criminal and she has to be stopped," Robin answered and Beastboy growled.

"She will be."

Cyborg's sensor went off, "I've got a lock, she's heading east."

* * *

><p>Terra dropped down into an alley panting for air, her knees shaking. The Titans were alive but Danny…she really…other than panic, Terra couldn't seem to understand why she couldn't finish her own thoughts.<p>

"_Where do you think you're going, young lady?"_

"Anywhere, I was getting thrashed, I had to get…"

"_No! I will not tolerate failure apprentice. I will not permit you to run away. You will stay, you will fight, and you will win," _Slade ordered.

Slowly Terra edged over to the side of the bricks to peek out over the street, when Cyborg came out from behind her and knocked the wind from her chest. Everything was moving so fast, all of the Titans' attacks unrelenting unlike anything Terra had ever seen. They weren't holding back, Starfire's powers actually incinerating the earth she threw at her. Raven even dropped a bus on her and Terra nearly didn't sink through the earth in time. At this rate not even sewer rats would be picking at her bones.

"Slade, I need help, I can't do this alone!" she yelled flying down the street. The Titans hot on her tail.

"_Dear child, you are never alone."_Was the only thing Slade said before Terra heard the earth behind her split open, emerging from it the three nano-controlled monsters before being encompassed in an energy field. What emerged was one giant hybrid of the three, forcing the Titans to stop and Terra sure as hell wasn't going to stick around and see who won.

"And I thought they were ugly before," Cyborg commented, the thing letting out a howl.

"We're going to need a bigger jail," Raven pointed out.

"Also, I think we should call him Ciambus," Beastboy stated feeling the new name suited the monster.

Robin snarled, "I don't care what we call him, he's going down. Titans, go!"

* * *

><p>They were walking in the middle of the road. Danny's left leg had gone numb an hour ago, which really didn't make sense. Because he thought it going numb meant that it wouldn't hurt. Instead, every step felt as if thousands of hot needles were being pressed into his skin making the muscle spasm and lock against his will. It almost drowned out the unexplainable pain burning through his stomach and pressing up into his lungs. Almost.<p>

"Hang on, Danny, we're almost to the city."

"Sam, you said that…"

"Danny!"

"What?!" he jolted in Sam's arms and realized he'd probably blacked out again.

"Sorry."

His dead girlfriend let out a determined growl and picked up the pace, which pulled terrible at the open layers in his skin. Danny tried to stifle his gasp of pain to no avail and heard Sam apologize and ease up a little. For some reason this made him want to scream, and he felt his eyes burn with salt.

"Why, Sam?"

"Why what?" she asked, her head turning slightly to face him, her muscles straining, sweat covering her skin, and Danny realized that the two of them must look absolutely _terrible_.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because I'm not about to let you die. Plus, I'd never hear the end of it from Tucker you kicked the bucket before he managed to convince the archangels to give you a green halo for kicks."

Danny couldn't help but chuckle lightly at that.

"I miss you guys so much," he whispered the words horse, that tore more than the wound in his side.

"We do too. Danny, it wasn't your fault now for the love of Rao keep moving."

The halfa chuckled and quirked an eyebrow. "Rao? What the heck does that mean, Sam?"

"It's, never mind," Sam answered after a pause and a few seconds later they emerged around a familiar park bend and right down the street was an emergency clinic.

Danny felt every inch of Sam relax in relief, before taking a breath and moved them forward.

"Woah, we made great time."

"Oh quiet you," Sam bantered her eyes bright, "Danny, I won't ask you to move on. Because I know that's impossible for you, but please, try to find happiness."

Danny jolted in her arms and looked over to Sam in shock, "Okay, I know you're a part of my subconscious but what the hell, Sam? Using you to guilt trip me into trying to, _to fall in love again? _Seriously, what the hell?"

Sam's violet lips pursed into a tight line and her eyes became steel as they drew closer to the building. "You are so…don't think for a second that I want you to be pinning over what could have been. I love you to much for that you stubbornly, clueless, young man." she snapped her eyes blazing so bright Danny could have sworn he was seeing the purist shade of purple.

"Sam, I…alright I promise to try and be happy once more."

His dead girlfriend looked at him and her features softened, "You always have a way with words."

"Yeah, no sarcasm there, Sam." Besides, both of them knew she had always been the one capable of stringing together elegance from the English language. Oh, Danny could get people to follow him but Sam, she could always turn passion into driving loyalty.

"True. But a Fenton never breaks a promise, remember?" she whispered as she lowered Danny gently onto the curb of the road. Danny hadn't realized he could no longer move and when had he become so cold? Sam placed a kiss on his clammy skin as his world turned grey, then black.

Sam slowly stood trying not to look at the boy she loved lying motionless on the pavement when two small gasps caught her attention. Turning, she saw a little boy and girl holding what looked to be a pizza box and two bags of water, standing frozen on the sidewalk.

"Could you two please get a doctor?" Sam asked priding on how even her voice sounded.

Neither acknowledging her, the little boy came to first before dropping the food and his sister's hand, running inside the clinic where people had taken refuge. The little girl instead, came over to Danny and knelt down beside him, silently taking his hand and whispering sweet nothing words to him. Strangely that meant everything to Sam.

Silently she stepped away when a doctor and two nurses came rushing out with three civilians.

"Somebody get on a short frequency wave radio and contact a larger hospital, this boy needs surgery now. Nurse, I need you!" Doctor Benet yelled.

* * *

><p>Terra ran through the underground tunnels till she passed the steel doors and into the main passage way. Slade standing in the center of the room, the computer monitors trained on the Teen Titans, the windows all around them showing the orange glow of moving magma.<p>

"Slade, I made it. I'm alive. I can't believe they almost beat me."

In a quick decisive movement Slade had slammed her into the opposite wall. Terra felt stars pop into her vision and her breath caught in her throat as her mentor loomed over her.

"That was nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."

**Present:**

Danny gasped, awakening on a sterile white bed in the hospital.

"What, how?"

The sound of doctors passing by his door made the teen stumble out of bed, and Danny nearly had a panic attack when he realized the hole in his side was gone.

"Hey! Wait!" His voice was horse, his vocal cords torn painfully, but Danny didn't pause, stumbling out into the hall way where civilians were lining the walls clinging to loved ones. The doctors continued walking, and Danny felt his mind tick in annoyance.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" No one answered or even looked at him.

"It's a shame really," a nurse suddenly spoke walking past the halfa and into his room, a young med student trailing behind her, "the kid fought so hard to live and now he's like this."

It was then Danny saw his hospital bed with him asleep in it. His skin waxen, wires and tubes hooked up to him like a car battery. Nothing made sense anymore while Danny stumbled to his bed side, looking at his bruised and battered form, a breathing tube forcing air into his lungs.

"It's a miracle he even survived," the young med student said her eyes full of hopeless wonder which made Danny want to scream.

The nurse checked his vitals, jotting things down on his chart in a clinical fashion.

"Doctor Benet thinks the kid walked all the way from Haydn's Bay two miles outside of the city, a couple civis even drove the ambulance to get them here," The Nurse stated factually.

"I'm right here you know," Danny growled trying in vain to catch the women's attention and succeeding in only making himself look like an idiot.

"He's a tough kid then, he'll wake up," The young college girl said, and Danny felt the fire flare in him.

"Damn straight I will…as soon as I figure out what the hell is going on!"

The elder nurse simply huffed and turned the young girl to face her. "Listen Jen, I know you want to believe 'will' is everything. But sometimes you've got to let people die. I've seen so many kids like this boy and trust me, either his family is gonna pull the plug or he's going to live the rest of his life a vegetable. And that's just facts," Nurse Joyce said her voice having a twang of a South Carolina girl to it.

Jen the med student, Danny had fondly dubbed, looked devastated. But before following the forty plus years nurse out, she took one of his torn bandaged hands and gave a squeeze.

"You'll wake up, somehow."

Danny wasn't sure if the reassurance was for him or her, and the halfa concluded that she must really be new.

Turning he headed out into the hallway and was half way down the stairs when a boom filled the air and the electricity flickered as the ground shook. People all around him clung closer together, screaming, and he hopped the railing. Dropping three floors to the ground before rushing out into the street, past people scrambling into the emergency doors, blood and soot caking their skin.

Danny should have felt the difference between the tile and pavement of the street on his bare feet but instead there was nothing. The air felt the same, and the temperature remained cool to his skin as he ran down Main Street where an enormous monster that looked like Cinderblock, Plasmius and Overload combined stood fighting against the Teen Titans.

The Titans were moving in synchronization. Attacks coming one after another while they dodged the electric charged plasma.

When Danny spotted Raven helping Robin up he ran to them, skidding to a stop, "Raven, _please _tell me you can sense me?" he begged, but the two teens only moved out of the way as Starfire flew mercilessly into the beast before blasting him with her crackling power.

Once Cyborg was thrown into a building, Danny noticed the coming army of robots and soon everything became a blur of limbs and sounds. The ground shaking with every attack Ciambus threw. The human halfa being forced to watch it all. Cyborg using one of the robots main power cells as a mini explosion while Beastboy tore the robots apart limb by limb. When he resumed human form he walked up to his friend and glared.

"Where's Terra?"

"What's the matter, a robot army and a giant frankin thingy not enough for you?" Cyborg asked, Danny trying in vain to get the mechanical teens attention.

"Oh c'mon, why can't your optic eye pick up my frequency?" Danny yelled in frustration, nearly missing Beastboy's reply.

"I don't care about them, I want Terra. I want her to pay for what she's done," the changeling snarled before whirling around and crushing ten of the oncoming robots. Cyborg gave his friend a steady look before giving out the coordinates. As the mechanical Titan dove back into the fray, Danny had only a second to decide who to follow. Turning away from the scene he chased after the giant green wolf descending into the pit of the earth.

* * *

><p>Terra hit the ground with a thud and struggled to even crawl away as Slade came up behind her. His voice smooth and even as if he weren't beating her within an inch of life.<p>

"You've failed me, apprentice, I ordered you to eliminate the Titans. You did not. I commanded you to fight. And you ran."

With a herculean effort, Terra stood and glared at the man's broad back.

"You can't treat me like this."

"Can't I?"

She was slammed into a rock so fast her vision swam and it felt like every inch of her body was one big bruise.

"Who else would have you, my dear? You've done horrible things, _unforgivable _things. Where else could you possibly go?" Slade asked coming towards her.

Terra spun around to face him and felt like screaming. "Anywhere but here. I'm sick of fighting and I'm sick of You!" Defiantly she tried to pull the body armor off of her skin and felt something akin to pain prick her nerves.

"You'll find that quite impossible. The suits neural interface has integrated into your nervous system, into your skin. It's a part of you, and so am I, Terra," Slade informed, and Terra gasped stepping back in fear as the horror of what had been done slipped underneath her skin, far deeper than even the armor could reach.

"_No_."

"You chose this life, apprentice. It's too late to change your mind now, far too late."

"But it's not too late for me to walk out the door," she snapped turning away. Terra didn't even get five feet when blue electricity surrounded her and suddenly her body wasn't moving away from Slade, but _towards _him.

She couldn't utter a single word in defiance even as her mind screamed and clawed at her to do so. Slade grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in his one grey eye.

"You promised to fight at my side forever. And that's a promise I intend to make you keep."

* * *

><p>Robin, Raven, Starfire and Cyborg were circling closer together as Slade's army surrounded them. Robin waited for the right moment when he saw it he flipped on his EMP power cell.<p>

"Raven, now!"

He threw it high in the air, brilliant light spilling out as black magic engulfed the team, the robots falling dead around them. Ciambus stumbled from the wreckage, holding his acid green eyes when the black bus slammed into him. Starfire and Cyborg holding him still with one cord of Cy's hand wrapped around him, buying time for Robin to scale the nearby office building and flip onto his back planting the stun device. The beast let out a scream then toppled over next to Starfire who looked around the area and frowned.

"Where is Beastboy?"

Robin pulled out his com. and gazed at the screen. "Five kilometers east, and eight-hundred meters below the surface.

After trying in vain for ten minutes to get Beastboy's attention Danny settled for following silently next to the wolf. Also, he really wasn't trying to think too hard on the whole, 'my body's in a coma' thing. Or the fact that Danny could practically sense murderous intent radiating off his green friend.

"Beastboy, please, don't do anything stupid. I know Terra's hurt you but if you do this, you won't come back."

It was useless, and Danny sighed as Beastboy hopped down from the boulders, walking up to steel doors barring their way. The wolf gave a sniff, then he was a Wooly Mammoth knocking down the steel with ease.

"Camera," Danny pointed out absently and was surprised when the changeling spotted it, his little rat paws pulling out its cord before it could note the breach in security.

Beastboy turned human and started walking down the hallway, and Danny had never seen his friend so serious before. Both teens were startled when a soft sound came from inside the cave, coming in sporadic intervals till they fell upon Terra. Her uniform torn, collapsed on the ground, sobbing.

Beastboy darted forward all anger gone, replaced only with concern.

"Terra?"

The girl looked up to him with pleading eyes, "Destroy me, quick." The changeling froze.

"Come on?" she snapped, tears still flowing down her face, her voice choking. "Isn't that what you came for? Do it, now!"

Beastboy gasped when electricity surrounded Terra, forcing her to rise, and he was blasted back with her power.

"Forgive my apprentice, as usual, she can't seem to control herself. So from now on, I'll be controlling her every move," Slade answered emerging from who knows where as Terra stumbled forward, new tears slipping down her face.

Danny felt his loathing for that man increase tenfold as Beastboy stood up and glared, hatred in his eyes.

"Terra," he whispered.

The girl struggled for a few seconds before her eyes went gold and her power surged out, refined rocks being launched the changeling's way. Danny watched helplessly as the wolf was slammed into another wall, Beastboy groaning as Terra emerged from the smoke. Her face blank and shadowed.

"What have you done to her?" he demanded, and Danny could hear the sneer in Slade's voice.

"Nothing she didn't want me to. Terra came to me seeking control and that's precisely what I'm giving her. My control. Her body. I think you'll find I make far better use of her powers," Slade stated. _Perverted bastard, _Danny thought while Beastboy snarled and charged at Terra, the fight resuming. Terra's movements mirroring Slade's actions until the gorilla pinned her to the ground and she shook her head.

"You have to stop me, Beastboy. Please, I don't want to fight anymore."

Human hazel green eyes gazed back at her and Beastboy growled low and glutterly in his throat. "Then don't let Slade control you anymore."

Terra looked away, dark blue eyes hard. "I have no choice."

"That's a lie!" Beastboy yelled his hands tightening painfully around her arms. "You've always had a choice!"

Terra only looked up at him blankly before Slade lifted his arms and her eyes went gold, two pillars throwing the changeling high into the air. As Terra stood, Danny found himself unconsciously moving in front of his friend vainly trying to protect him. But what Beastboy said next froze Danny in his place.

"It's always been your choice," the young teen accused. "You _chose _to work for Slade. You _chose _to betray us. You _chose _to murder Danny. And now you've _chosen _to give him control. Slade isn't doing this Terra, you are!"

Danny felt like an idiot. "I'm not…shit, why do I have to be so clueless sometimes?!" he screamed running up to Beastboy as the changeling shook Terra, the girl furiously denying her crimes.

"No, you're wrong!"

"Face it, and take the blame for yourself!"

"No." The earth under Beastboy's feet caved in before he transformed and took flight, landing a few feet away. The rocks shot him backwards, and he rolled into his wolf form heading towards Slade when Terra dropped thousands of rocks on him and she gasped as Danny's blood went cold when they heard the animalistic yelp. The dust cleared and the green wolf was trapped, struggling to free his hind leg before Beastboy turned human and vainly continued to struggle.

"Very good my child, now shall we finish him off?" Slade questioned, and Terra was forced to walk forward her, arm outstretched and shaking.

"Terra, no," Beastboy breathed, his from trembling in pain. Terra looked down on him in fear. "He's too powerful, I can't stop him," she pleaded, her palm turning gold.

"Yes, you can. It's your power not his, you can still do the right thing."

"It's too late." Was her answer before four rocks morphed into one giant spike hovering over Beastboy's form, and Danny didn't know what to do but in the next instant he was screaming, 'no', and vainly reaching forward.

Expecting to feel only the nothingness that existed on this plain, Danny was overwhelmed when his hand touched the bare expanse of skin on Terra's arm. His mind nearly exploding from the streaks of colors blazing trails in his mind from the simple feeling of skin on skin.

Terra gasped in shock as the rest of the Titans suddenly appeared, weapons all trained on her in warning. Everyone yelling but her eyes were looking straight into Danny's icy blues, and he found his voice wasn't working properly, as the sheer warmth of Terra's presence sunk into his skin, no, warming him from the inside out.

It was then Slade's voice cut through the sound barrier and both teens felt an oily sensation of something forcing her to move took over.

"Terra, strike!"

Her fingers began to curl, and Danny felt her look down at Beastboy, the boy she was about to kill, his hazel green eyes pleading.

"It's your life Terra, your choice. It's never too late to change."

Terra's eyes were red rimmed, flickering once to Danny's, who was slowly backing away. The tingling of her power still making his skin hum as he gave a reassuring smile. She looked down to Beastboy and frowned, "I'm so sorry Beastboy, for _everything _I've done." Danny knew her apology wasn't only meant for the changeling.

Her fist closed and she screamed, sending the projectile hurtling straight for Slade's heart. Terra began demolishing the cavern as she fought the man, not even caring about the damage as the Titans worked on getting Beastboy free. Danny vainly trying to keep track of both his friends and Terra at the same time.

"You ungrateful little girl!" Slade snarled, and Terra roared in disgust and anger before pelting the man with rocks, sending him over the edge of the cliff she'd created. Breathing hard, Terra touched down, hedging forward when in a blur of motion Slade had her by her chest armor, lifting her till her toes scraped the ground.

It was then she opened her golden eyes, power making her hair fan out around her as the rock underneath them began to form golden fissures. "You can't control me anymore!"

The rock exploded, leaving only Terra as she collapsed on her lone floating platform. It was then the Earth gave a groan then a tremble and hot lava began to pour from its confines.

"Terra's power, it's triggered a volcano!" Robin screamed from where the Titans stood on what was left of the original cavern.

"Big enough to take out the whole city and way too big to stop!" Cyborg stated.

"The civilians!" Starfire screamed.

"We have to get out of here," Raven answered knowing that Robin was already formulating plans on how to get people to the bay. But first they had to make it out of here alive.

Beastboy squirmed in Cyborg's hold and he stumbled forward, ignoring the grinding of his broken leg.

"Terra, come on, we gotta go!" he pleaded to the girl as she looked away from him. The Titans standing around her, waiting.

"I can't," she answered calmly, ignoring her pounding heart.

"What?" Beastboy asked not comprehending Terra's answer.

"I'm the only one who can stop it," she stated looking at the lava beginning to come in greater force the room so hot it felt as if the very air were being sucked away from the heat.

"No. Please Terra, you can't it's too late," Beastboy begged, but Terra merely pushed her wheat blonde hair out of her eyes and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's never too late," she replied before sending a silent signal to Cyborg, and the mechanical teen stepped forward placing his hands on Beastboy's shoulders.

In a quick movement so brief, she hugged him, whispering hoarsely in Beastboy's ears, "You were the best friend I ever had." Terra pulled away and allowed Cyborg to pick up the changeling before she moved the earth under the Titans, away from her and towards the exit. All of them giving her one last look before turning and running down the corridor.

Terra felt her breath catch in fear, and she turned away from the door. Knowing she'd trapped herself when she felt a cool hand take her own. Her voice caught in her throat when she saw Danny standing next to her.

"Y-You won't leave me, right?" Terra pleaded.

Danny felt his heart thump painfully at the fear quivering in her voice.

"I promise."

Terra took a few stuttering breaths and suddenly Danny felt power growing all around them, drawing from something deep in Terra's core, her hand trembling in his. The lava was all around them now. A mask below being melted down. But Danny couldn't feel anything except the girl next to him. Standing in a room where no human could tread.

"Does it hurt?" Terra whispered looking at him, her entire being coated in gold and Danny paused. Remembering the time Sam had asked him the same question. He hadn't given an answer then, because Sam wouldn't have understood. But Terra would, as her core continued to build a charge, sending pulse after pulse into Danny's nerves, he turned and looked at her tormented face...

* * *

><p>Superman looked at the device in his hand as Batman added the finishing touches where he stood on a green platform of will, Hal had created, where they floated above the ocean.<p>

"The only way to disrupt the Dome's self-sustaining force field is to overload the generators with a heavily condensed wave of sound. You're voice can only project twenty percent of the power needed, this sound enhancer will do the rest."

Batman growled and Superman nodded, floating in the air and trying not to hear the sounds of the volcano building. The Teen Titans still trapped underground. He shifted in the wind, when he heard Bruce mutter done, the man's heart strangely pounding under his chest plate. Superman flew into position when the voice in his com. link growled.

"It'll take ten seconds exactly."

Clark heard the rocks crumbling around the Titans and took a breath before unleashing his voice in the glowing green circular device. Never before had Clark seen his voice projected like this. The sound waves so dense they were visible to the naked eyes, the blue beams hit the shield and he started the countdown.

* * *

><p>Robin and the others were twisting through the caverns, Raven trying in vain to find her friends in the darkness, to shield them. But suddenly everything buckled and Starfire was on top of her, trying to protect her from the crushing weight. In a panic, Raven almost missed the flash of red before someone was pulling both girls up and then Robin was with them, curled into a ball along with Beastboy, Cyborg above them and someone else… holding them as the world seemed to fall apart. Soon everything went still and silent almost as if nothing had happened, when Starfire pulled away and the little dome they'd formed broke apart, Raven was gazing up at one very relieved Superman.<p>

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Robin shook off his disorientation, "Cl…Superman. We're fine, thank you."

Raven never knew so many emotions could come from one person before.

* * *

><p>Danny jolted awake.<p>

"…_It's only death."_

His body convulsing against his will, rebelling against something stuck down his throat. The halfa heard a gasp and soon 'Jen the med student' was yelling for a doctor, and he wondered why on earth he thought to call her that.

Fixit had been the one to find out Danny was still alive. He had been scanning the frequencies when he overheard a John Doe being admitted to the hospital with a stab wound. When he found the doctors and then the boys' room the robot nearly collapsed on the floor in relief and the first thing he did when the crisis was over was call the Titans. What Fixit hadn't been counting on was how quickly they'd get here. As in, a black bird appeared in the middle of the corridor before his next breath and thank god the security cameras hadn't been functioning along with the hallway being empty.

"I didn't mean for you to show up so quickly," he stated as the teens all pushed past him into Danny's room all about to yell in relief when they realized the halfa was asleep. At the teens shocked expressions, Fixit humped and shooed them out of the way to gently nudge the teen awake.

When Danny blearily opened his eyes he expected only Fixit. Not five teens, bruised and battered but still smiling.

"So how long was I out?" Danny found himself asking in order to break the really awkward silence.

Starfire burst out laughing and flew above him to give him a tender hug.

"A couple of days," Cyborg answered. "You missed Slade getting his butt handed to him."

Danny scrunched up his face at that. "There was a cavern…Terra…light."

The entire team had gone still till Beastboy flipped out and lunged forward nearly dropping his crutches.

"Dude? You remember? But you weren't even there."

"I…" Danny found his mind to be a jumbled fog of sights and sounds. Before he distinctly remembered the feelings of nothingness and scorching flesh as golden light surged through him.

"Terra asked me to stay…before lava? Or was that after?"

At Danny's almost panicked expression, Raven moved forward then and raised one palm.

"Danny, may I try something?"

After a moment the team had pieced together what little the halfa could remember about being on that plane. Or as Raven put it, experiencing an out of body moment. Where his mind was projecting itself from his body but his spirit was still trapped in a coma.

"Which is why you couldn't sense him?" Starfire asked to which Raven nodded. An apology already on her lips.

"Danny, if I had known."

"It's no big deal. You guys helped Terra stop Slade. Speaking of, where is she?" he asked looking around the room expectantly, searching for wheat blonde hair. It was when Beastboy gave a strangled sound did Danny look to Robin and his eyes widened in understanding.

"She didn't make it, did she?"

The room descended into silence.

* * *

><p>Three days later the teens solemnly trudged through the underground catacombs. The air frigidly cold. They had to take it slow, with Beastboy on crutches and Danny's still healing stab wound. Raven could have flown them, Danny could have even teleported them. Yet walking seemed like the only option. Eventually they emerged into the cavern, the lone statue of a girl frozen in an open pose, her palms inviting, her hair seeming to blow in a nonexistent breeze, her face peaceful while a single tear tracked down stone skin. The Titans stood in silence before Beastboy stepped forward his uniform completely black. Carefully, he unfolded a worn piece of paper and began to read;<p>

"Her name was Terra. She was gifted with tremendous power and cursed with it as well. She was a dangerous enemy, and a good friend. And she was one of the bravest people I have ever known," Beastboy finished, his voice tight and controlled as Starfire stepped forward, her armor dark, placing sixteen roses painstakingly selected, the thorns carefully removed, beneath Terra's feet.

"I will miss you, my friend," she whispered.

"We'll be searching for a way to reverse the effect," Raven stated lowering her white hood to reveal mourning eyes.

"We'll bring her back," Robin whispered his mask the only part of his uniform the rest funeral clothes.

"Someday," Cyborg answered as Danny stepped forward and placed a hand on Beastboy's trembling shoulder.

"I promise."

Gar gave Danny a small smile before placing the plaque next to the roses, the simple words etched in stone: Terra. A Teen Titan. A True Friend.

* * *

><p>The sun was dipping below the ocean's waves, where Danny was watching the progression from his bedroom window from Titans Tower without seeing it. His mind trying in vain to remember the jumbled events that followed the stabbing. Feeling a twinge of pain, Danny pulled his hand unconsciously away from his side. Remembering the feeling of hands not his own pressing firmly on the wound.<p>

"Doctor Benett said it was a miracle," Robin commented coming into the room, his clothing back to normal.

Danny hummed in thoughtfulness before speaking, "And why would he call it that?"

Robin stood next to him, watching the wave's crash. "Because of how far you walked. Where you walked from. How you managed to bind the wound, to about everything else. He suspects you even climbed up the bluff," the teen stated, his voice revealing nothing.

It made Danny wonder what Robin was getting at.

"I don't remember."

"Did someone help you? Because if so, I need to thank them or ask the President to give them a metal."

Danny half thought that was a joke till he realized Robin was serious.

"Robin, it wasn't your fault. I made a rookie mistake, I should have known Terra's power would have affected the knife the way it did."

The teen in question flinched. "I just…I thought you were dead. I _saw _you die and the thought of losing anyone else on the team or even Br…Batman or Robin it makes me…"

Danny quickly put a hand on his friends shoulder to stop Robin from diving into hysterias.

"Hey, I'm alive. I didn't die. That's all that counts."

Robin became silent. Yet even his mask couldn't completely hide his whirling thoughts and emotions.

"No. But the call to give Terra a second chance was mine. I intentionally made the choice to risk all of our lives and the worst part is, I know I'll do that again."

With this Robin walked away, moving further to look around Danny's room, to the daily clutter that showed this was a place well lived in, and the halfa suddenly felt a foreboding feeling overcome him.

"Coming here to tell me your glad I'm still half-alive wasn't the only reason, was it?"

Robin's posture stiffened before he shook his head. Danny took a bracing breath and went to stand by his friend and leader.

"Alright, what is it?"

Robin pulled up his holographic computer on one gauntlet and opened the file.

"His name is Brother Blood,"

As Robin began briefing Danny on the mission, the halfa couldn't help but feel the brush of smooth fingers across his cheek. And just out of the corner of his eyes, Danny thought he caught Sam, dressed in black, waving farewell.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	36. Chapter 28: Five Months

_Time has passed..._

_"We're owned by our hearts_

_We're owned by our fears_

_We're owned by the sparks_

_That heal as they tear…"_

_~Unknown_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 28: Five Months

Season Three

Danny awoke once more to the feeling of fully blossomed bruises across his back as he lay on his stomach, glaring with the upmost hatred at the alarm clock. Five-o'one. Classes start at six and already he was groaning from pain. The bed dipped suddenly, a warm body rolled over, and Valarie placed a feather light kiss upon his bare shoulder.

"Morning."

"I would say that back, but it's not even dawn yet."

Valarie chuckled before getting up, moving towards the bathroom, pulling off her nightclothes as she went being mindful of her three cracked ribs. Danny waited patiently till he heard the sounds of running water before he started getting dressed in the all black uniform, save for his white sash around his waist, crossing over his chest.

Opening the bathroom door, the warm condensation swirled around him, easing straining muscles, Valarie's silhouette behind the curtain. The water cut off shortly, and she stepped out in a red fluffy towel before heading into the main room, shutting the door once more as Danny finished brushing his teeth then carefully wrapping his face until only his ice blue eyes remained. The last two things were his reinforced black tabi boots, and he flipped up the black hood over his head before stepping out into the room. Valarie was tugging her wet hair into a ponytail, the red plated armor of her uniform glistening, her new visor only concealing her eyes, sloping gently across high cheekbones.

"Ready to go?" She asked looking towards him, and Danny had to marvel at how ordinary their routine had become. How each of them knew the other so well they no longer needed verbal communication to know where the other was. Striding over to his dresser, he grabbed the green hilted katana and his backpack. Absently, he ran a hand through his crow black hair underneath the hood feeling for the small metal device no greater than a quarter, hidden behind his ear. Phantom sensations filled him as if his body were still asleep. Valarie said nothing to this, far used to his strange behavior since they both found themselves here at the HIVE Academy.

"Ready."

Both teens headed for the door. Sometimes, it was hard being the only two regular humans in this place. If high school was bad, then this place was a nightmare for them. Every super powered teen here wanted a piece of the two normal teens. Of course, it usually ended with those power kids flat on their backs in the battle arena. In fact, the reason Valarie had three broken ribs in the first place was because Mammoth had demanded a rematch. The two of them walked into their first class Chemical Warfare and took their seats. Closer to the front, Danny could see the trio, Mammoth grumbling when he looked back to the duo, Danny leveled them a glare causing both Gizmo and the lummox to squeak while Jinx merely gazed back before turning to face the teacher. A note slid across the desk.

'_What was that about?'_

Danny barely glanced at it before scrawling his answer and sliding it back, _'Merely saying hello.'_

Beside him, Valarie gave a snort, sending the paper back to him, _'I can take care of myself, Fenton.'_

The teacher up front was quizzing Kyd Wykkyd, a vampire, while his girlfriend Angel, she literally had white wings, tried to give him the answers. Such original names, but he wasn't one to talk. He got nicknamed Shadow while he was here and god, Danny hoped Jonny 13 didn't try and kill him for that.

'_I know. But I like people to remember you're not the only human they can pick fights with.'_

At this Val gave a snort and Danny couldn't blame her. Because ever since Blood took him personally under his wing most of the students were too afraid to fight him. That and he accidentally put the girl named Bumblebee in the medical wing for a week. The bell rang and they made their way through the hallways towards the cafeteria for breakfast. Students were pushing and pulling while some were in the middle of the hallway blocking the flow of traffic. Once Danny and Valarie had their trays they sat at the corner table in the far back of the room, watching the normal clicks form among the tables.

Valarie let out a snort when the Trio, as Danny fondly dubbed Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo scared off a couple of freshman.

"Hey Danny, look around you, you've got your freshman, J.V. jocks, preps, asian nerds, cool asians, varsity jocks, unfriendly black hotties, girls who eat their feelings, girls who don't eat anything, desperate wannabe's, burnouts, sex to the active band geeks, the greatest people you will ever meet and the worst."

At this Danny carefully hid his laugher behind his hand, stifling it until he met Val's eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"So are we the awesome people or the Plastics?"

Valarie took a moment to think about it before digging into her eggs, throwing the bomb across the room into Gizmo's orange juice.

"Definitely the Plastics."

Danny snorted as orange juice went flying causing the little snot to start cussing up a storm.

He looked back to Valarie and smiled, "I'll wear my pink shirt."

"Only on Wednesdays," Val corrected before the two resumed eating while Gizmo tried to burn holes in the back of their heads.

After re-wrapping his mask the two headed for social sciences, which was quote 'unquote' the art of psychological manipulation and warfare. Danny always tried and failed to not roll his eyes at all the class titles. Blood really liked warfare.

* * *

><p>At nine o'clock Valarie was heading to field training with the rest of their class while Danny went off to his. By nine-thirty, his muscles burned so badly Danny wondered if he were on fire.<p>

Blood slammed him onto the training mat and Danny felt the nerve cluster near his left hip that had been struck by the bo-staff lock up his entire leg.

"Really Daniel, I expected better you aren't even utilizing the nerve strikes I've taught you," Brother Blood growled in exasperation.

Danny huffed and pulled himself up, and god, sometimes being human really sucked.

"That's because I can't get close enough to you, Sensei," the non-halfa stated, and Danny could feel the sweat trickling down his eyes, his mask damp along with his clothes. Thank god he remembered to pack spares. The elder gentleman with wispy white hair gave a good natured huff before coming into a ready stance, his red and black gear flowing with the movements.

"That's because you're still telegraphing your moves with your feet and not trying to redirect my momentum now, again."

It were times like these when Blood was actually training him and not beating him to the ground that Danny almost forgot he was supposed to…Danny stopped that line of thought and charged making sure his muscles didn't try and get ahead of his mind.

When eleven-thirty came around Danny was finished with showering, walking through the twisting metal hallways painted in yellow and black waiting for Valarie to get out of class. The bell rang at eleven-forty-five, and she came out of advanced trig class. Her thick black hair was now pulled into a bun, a fresh bruise on her cheek. Without thinking he was brushing a loose strand of hair away to get a better look at it, his gloved palms feathering across the tiny hair on her skin. Val took his hand and sighed.

"I'm fine. Kyd Vamp got in a lucky shot. I decked him for trying to fang me," she said this as Angel, the dude's girlfriend, strode by, gave a humph, before flouncing away. The teens all around them walking by undoubtedly started new rumors about their 'love life.'

"So how was training?" Valarie asked while they walked down the hallway towards lunch.

"Fine, Blood says I'm about done with the hand to hand, and he's about to start re-fining my sword skills," he said this as a group of girls strode by before turning away, giggling and running off, leaving Danny extremely confused.

"Um…what was that about?"

"Apparently, I like chains and you're the screamer," she answered snickering while Danny felt his pale skin burn under the mask.

"Why do people always assume the quiet ones are screamers?" he mumbled while Val shrugged.

"Don't know, why do they assume we've even had kinky sex, or any sex for that matter?"

It was then Danny remembered just how compromising this was for Valarie, and he felt guilt clench his stomach. And all because she was female.

"I'm sorry. I forget what the girls say about you."

Valarie's mouth thinned but when she looked up to him, Danny could see how grateful she was that he even cared.

"It's alright. But you know, if I'm a whore you are too."

"No way, since I'm a guy I get a free pass as being a player with charisma."

To this he received a solid punch to his arm before the two broke off to go get what they wanted for lunch. Watching Valarie walk away, her head held high in the confidence and grace she always projected made his stomach flip. The two of them choosing to room together originally hadn't even been about their feelings. It was solely based on survival.

Neither Danny nor Valarie were safe from their roommates or the hazing that went with trying to fit in. So Danny had done the only thing he could think of, he went to Blood and requested a room change. It wasn't like there were policies in place preventing both genders from rooming together, it just didn't happen. Even the teens who proclaimed they were dating didn't do it.

So the scandals that followed were bordering on legendary. And sure, being so close to Valarie had rekindled all the emotions he so readily felt for her. But it's not like he could trust her. Except… right now, he was only human. Danny felt his heart hammer at this thought and felt only warmth, no sliver of pressure from his ice core.

Absently, he ran a hand through crow black locks, one finger brushing metal and a thrum of power surged through him. Making his blood sing as if he were in a fight. Picking up his tray, Danny pulled the black hood further over his head before taking a seat across Valarie, his back facing away from the other students. He took a breath and lowered the mask.

* * *

><p>At two-thirty Brother Blood or Professor Blood at the moment, when he was teaching, was writing down another formula for the semester project their class was working on in his Doomsday Class. The only class that didn't have the title warfare in front of it.<p>

Finally three forty-five was combat practice, the last class of the day. And the one time Danny could fight alongside Valarie. Today however, the students gathered to watch Billy Numerous, See-More and Angel brave the top training course as the group attempted to cross the finish line. Both Valarie and Danny sat back and relaxed along with the other students.

"You know that paper isn't due till Midnight Val, you can relax a little." Danny stated rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension. Valarie snorted and kept typing.

"Not all of us can create a paper by solely writing the conclusion, Danny," she snapped back glancing up to those ice blue eyes.

"It's called reverse writing, Val, you really should try it sometime."

"I think I need to be dropped on my head a couple of times before that'll work."

To this Danny flushed so badly even Valarie could see it. She burst out laughing.

"That happened two times, Val, and need I remind you Dash was involved."

"_Red, Shadow!_ Since the two of you seem so at ease, why don't you put your muscles to the test!" Professor Grimes shouted, his uni-brow bristling and both teens groaned before jumping into the arena and set to work.

Later when Danny was typing up the final paragraph on the dark purple couch in their room, he heard Valarie cuss and looked over to see her fuming mad on the bed, her face livid.

"What's wrong?" he asked getting up, moving to sit beside her.

"I just tried submitting my paper and my whole computer crashed!" she yelled, her fists clenching the bed sheets nearly tearing them.

"Don't you have a flash drive?"

"That snot nosed brat stole it two days ago."

Danny growled, "Then three guesses who messed with your computer while we were occupied."

Valarie let out a pained sound and flopped back on the mattress before looking to the clock and groaning.

"Eleven-thirty, if I don't submit my paper I can kiss this scholarship goodbye and you know Professor Chrome doesn't accept any excuses."

Danny winced knowing this to be true. Looking back to her computer then her forlorn face steeled his nerves. Setting aside this school's morals and intentions, this place was the only thing that had pulled Valarie back from the brink. Especially after Phantom…after _he_ had broken three of Val's ribs and caused severe damage to her leg when she'd already broken it hunting him.

"Val, I think I can try something."

Valarie gave him a sharp look before sitting up.

"What? It's dead as the desert."

Carefully unwrapping his left arm, Danny revealed the small electronic chip imbedded in his arm. One of the many things Valarie had questioned him about to which he never answered. Now she watched fascinated as the wires moved underneath his pale skin before retracting altogether. Danny gave a small sigh and placed his palm on the laptop before giving her a sheepish grin.

"Just, don't freak out okay?"

Valarie met his eyes and nodded.

Her best friend turned his eyes back on the computer and blue electricity began to spark. The computer gave a soft hum before the restart page appeared and the computer turned on. Valarie gave one of her most girlest squeals, which she would vehemently deny later, before wrapping her arms around Danny's neck and pulling him into a kiss that tasted faintly of electricity.

When Valarie pulled away, she was happy to note that Danny was redder than a tomato.

"I…you're welcome?"

He questioned, and the romantic inside Valarie couldn't help but laugh at how cute her friend's reactions were.

"Thank you. Danny, why didn't you tell me you're a meta-human? How long have you been able to do that and oh my gosh, you're just like that kid in Dakota, Static Shock, I think is what he calls himself!"

Danny chuckled before relaxing. "Careful, Valarie, your inner fangirl is showing. And um…a couple of months and because I didn't want anyone to know."

To this Valarie rolled her eyes in fondness. "You are so strange, Fenton."

"Yeah, uh, Valarie. Not to be ungrateful for all this attention, but shouldn't we submit our papers now?" he said, his ice blue eyes drifting over to the clock which now read eleven-fifty.

"Oh, crap. We should."

Two submissions later, along with promises of retribution against Gizmo, Danny had to admit that today was a better day. Getting up, Danny popped his back and headed for the shower while Valarie assumed a lotus pose and both began their nightly rituals. When he was done, Danny stepped out of the bathroom in his night pants carefully toweling his hair, making sure the empathic device was still concealed by his jet black hair.

Valarie was already in bed, her breaths already deep and languid. On the dresser L.I.S.A. sat and carefully Danny placed the device back on his wrist. Feeling the wires sink below, strings of code following before the sensation of charged air lifted. It was only then did the non-halfa lie down, immediately scooting closer to Val and the warmth radiating off her. He may only be human now but his temperature was lower than average. One of the reasons they ended up sleeping together, that, and with only one bed in the room it gave them extra space. Of course try explaining that to hormonally frustrated students and see how well that pans out.

Closing his eyes, Danny remembered laughing at how Valarie said it didn't matter. That comparing the Red Huntress and Shadow to any of the students here was like comparing Superman to the Box Ghost. Danny had ended up nearly passing out, he had been laughing so hard. Still, as Danny felt Valarie roll over, her arm falling across his back as she unconsciously dragged her head to rest in between his shoulders, effectively making him a pillow…again, the teen knew that while they truly were mature in every sense of the word, they were also broken in every sense as well. And both of them had all the scars to prove it.

* * *

><p>Danny struck a nerve cluster that sent Billy Numerous to the ground quicker than a stone, before whirling around, drawing the Dragon's Gale, deflecting the purple magic with ease as Jinx danced just outside striking distance. She was the last one left of the group in the arena in the gym. Other students outside the ring chanting both of them on. Jinx smiled, her cat eyes dancing, her normally styled hair pulled in a high ponytail, sweat running down her face.<p>

She smirked doing cartwheels, "I will get that mask off one way or another."

Three more strikes of magic into the ground, and Danny let out a snort, jumping up to balance precariously on the high bar. It was something all the students tried to do when he decided to train in the gym, to get his mask off. The only part of his uniform that remained no matter where Danny went along with his sword but whatever, details. Apparently this was some manga joke or another that he didn't know about. Danny flipped out of the way as the high bars were destroyed, the ties of his mask falling across his black tank top.

"Whatever, Jinx, I'd like to see you try without cheating."

The girl gave a howl of protest before surging forward engaging in hand to hand her movements swifter than a snake. Danny moved around her, Jinx felt her fingers curl around Shadow's mask, the material smooth, when suddenly she was on the mat. The magic she'd laid beforehand caving underneath her feet. Jinx felt her face heat as she realized Shadow had used her own trap against her. Letting out a growl of frustration Jinx sat up, jumping slightly when a bandaged hand was extended to her. Meeting Shadows eyes she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, those twin pools sparkling in approval.

"Good fight, better than the four country hicks with only two brain cells."

Somewhere Billy screamed, and Jinx couldn't help but laugh. She might not know Shadow very well but he did have a decent sense of humor.

"Thanks," Jinx then turned to the crowd, placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "So which one of you thinks you can take the reigning champ and de-mask him?"

To this hands and voices rose in shouts but before Jinx could pick, Brother Blood's voice froze all the teens in place.

"No one will. Shadow, come with me."

Danny looked to Jinx in a silent apology before taking a running start, leaping up onto the second level following the Headmaster out, the students watching him go.

Brother Blood swept silently through the hallways never once speaking to Danny. It had the teen's nerves on end, for normally the man always had something to say. They entered the smaller training arena, and Danny felt fear begin to prick his senses.

"Sword on the table," Blood instructed as he swept off his long white robe revealing his red armor underneath, Danny did as instructed. Coming back he stood before his teacher, both bowed and the next thing Danny knew, he was being attacked so fast the non-halfa didn't know what to do.

"Focus on using my energy against me."

Blood's eyes were hard, and Danny leapt out of the way from a nerve strike that would have stopped his heart.

"I…can't…"

The Headmaster's eyes were furious, and the next instant Danny was blown back with red telekinetic energy.

"Really?" To punctuate this statement Blood redirected Danny's momentum to the mat, and he rolled out of the way barely avoiding a foot to his stomach.

Danny had no idea what was going on. Blood never attacked him like this. It was when the two clawed fingertips drew blood from his throat that he realized Blood was trying to kill him. In a sweeping motion, Danny had Blood's legs out from underneath him, the Headmaster in mid air corrected his position. But it was with great surprise when Blood realized that was exactly what his pupil had wanted. For Danny tumbled underneath him, springing up and vaulting to the other side of the room. When Blood turned his palms and eyes red, he was met with blade so sharp it could sever his neck armor with ease, resting right against his artery. Blood could hear Danny's breaths coming in pants as his form trembled in fear. The blade however remained perfectly steady, those blue eyes hard.

"What was that about, sensei?" Danny snarled, and Blood relaxed his posture allowing the teen to know he wouldn't attack.

"It has come to my attention, Daniel, that you are in fact a meta-human like myself with an extraordinary gift."

Slowly, Danny lowered his sword, then the black mask revealing his annoyed expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Blood sighed in exasperation, "Really Daniel, I expected you of all people would understand the importance of utilizing every skill one has in the midst of battle. It had been my hope that when presented with a situation where your life truly hung in the balance you would end it with decisiveness."

The Headmaster watched as his pupil's eyes widened in understanding before dropping down in shame, his hand gripping the Dragon's Gale. Blood's eyes softened, and he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, "A decision you made, in choosing to wield your sword instead."

Danny's eyes snapped up, and Blood felt his heart warm at seeing his student react towards his praise before he reminded himself of why he'd instigated this lesson in the first place.

"However, I will not allow my top student to train only half of his abilities, you will start refining you Lightening ability."

With this, Danny frowned and glared at Blood, "I can't. My meta power has the potential to stop my heart. It's not like your psychic abilities."

Blood nodded before his eyes went red and in a second so were Danny's, "I know my pupil, the risk is great but the potential is greater. You will learn to master this ability through my teachings. Understood?" He asked.

Danny blinked his eyes changing back, with no hesitation he undid the bandages on his left wrist and Blood watched as the teen carefully removed the wire chip before handing it over. Blood took it and smiled.

"I understand," Danny answered.

"Good," Blood took the device in his palm and crushed it. "We'll resume training tomorrow."

Danny made sure Blood was far away before he collapsed on the ground, shaking off the mental imprint left in his mind. Once Danny was sure he was free did anger boil up in him at the fact that Valarie had promised. Getting up he stormed angrily to their room, Val modifying her hunter suit at her work desk.

"Hey, Danny, what's up?"

"What's up? Val, I asked you not to tell anyone about my power and the next thing you do is go and tell the Headmaster about it? What the hell, I know you want to protect me and everything but that's crossing a line!"

Valarie, who had been sitting there in shock, stood up and glared her face chagrined.

"I don't know what you're talking about Danny, but I didn't tell Blood anything about you or your meta powers! How could you even think that about me?" she screamed, and Danny felt his emotions boil over.

"Oh, I don't know the fact that you're the only person who knows about me. How about that?" he snapped when Valarie slammed her fist on the desk, silence filling the room. When she looked at him again Danny felt his heart wrench from the tears gathering along the corners of those hazel gold eyes, her black hair fanning her face.

"Danny, I may not like you being here. I certainly don't agree with you choosing this life but I would never betray you. I didn't tell Brother Blood anything."

The non-halfa felt indignation flare up in him. "Oh, so I can't choose this path but you can? No hypocrisy there, Val. You weren't the only one hurt by the Titans," he snapped, and Valarie became rigid. Everything closing off, making it impossible for Danny to read and he cursed at his stupidity as he watched Val grab her backpack and storm angrily out of the room.

The door closing seemed to bring everything home, and Danny found himself sinking down onto the bed, his emotions drained.

"Damnit, if Val doesn't remember then that means Blood can alter perception and memories."

The thought of him begin able to alter his own made Danny tremble in fear, but he resolutely pushed that doubt aside. If he began going down that path it would only make things easier for Blood. Still Danny had brought up an old argument without meaning too and now Valarie was pissed and he was left feeling like the bad guy. Curse Val's sense of justice. Danny tried not to laugh at the philosophical arguments that thought implied.

* * *

><p>One month later, Danny found himself in the arena, Blood monitoring the obstacle course as he tried to focus on maintaining the flow of lightening through his sword while dodging six massive robots. It was as he released his forth lightning bolt that pain seared his senses. Only it wasn't coming from him, the device behind his ear causing explosions of lights to flash behind his eyes. A robot landed a solid punch and the last thing Danny knew was darkness. He awoke hours later in the medical wing. Every muscle locked in pain, a doctor speaking in hushed tones to his mentor. When Blood saw him, he approached, placing a comforting hand on Danny's head, the one place that didn't hurt.<p>

"Well, it seems we now know your limit. Although I must say I'm very proud of you."

Danny lifted one eyebrow before his eyes started throbbing, Blood though understood his question.

"Your power knocked out our power grid for an hour but the doctors did notice something strange, when your power fluctuated it came out of nowhere. Your heart had been steady so why?"

As he said this, Danny felt those fingers brush behind his ear and graze the device. Fear. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything and Blood saw all of this. His eyes went red, and Danny tried not to scream when he felt a voice fill his head. His body arching in pain.

"Tell me what this device does, Daniel."

Danny heard Blood's physical and mental voice pound blades in him, and he needed to answer, to tell the truth.

"Empathic device."

Instantly Blood's eyes lost their red hue and Danny felt his body fall back against the bed, every nerve roaring and if Danny had the strength, he'd be screaming till his throat was bloody. Gasping for breath he met Blood's face. The man was curious but at the moment concern outweighed answers. When Blood left, Danny tried to ignore how relieved he was before sleep claimed him with the nightmares filling his soul in dread.

Valarie was asleep when Danny awoke, her head lying on the bed, long black hair spilling onto his hand. Gently, he threaded his fingers through it, savoring the course softness. Valarie's eyes fluttered.

"Danny? Oh, thank god you're alright."

A chuckle passed his lips and Val frowned, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Yeah, how's classes been?"

Valarie shrugged, "Fine. Brother Blood's about to unveil our class project for the semester and now I know why I was being given so much trig work and you were stuck with all that chemistry."

"Don't tell me…a hydrolysis reaction canon? Energy efficient and yet deadly."

Val chuckled but shook her head, "Na, something to do with ions. That's all I got before Gizmo got a little to curious and I was forced to start playing Mega Monkeys to distract him. Don't know why you'd ask for that information anyways."

Danny groaned before sitting up, moving so Valarie could join him while he gathered his thoughts.

"Val, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I know you'd never do anything like that."

Hesitantly, he looked up from their intertwined hands to see Valarie's surprised expression before she smiled.

"Thanks Danny, and I'm sorry for not wanting you here. Sometimes I forget how powerful you are and what you've been through."

To this Danny had to laugh at the irony before he gave a light peck on her cheek and stood up, muscles groaning but otherwise he'd live.

"You know, we really know how to make each other miserable."

Valarie stood as well and wrapped her arm in his while they walked through quiet hallways back to their room. It was only when Valarie was asleep did Danny open his laptop, take a photo, attach the file and send it on its way.

Closing his eyes, Danny knew the hardest part of his five month mission was about to begin. The next day at school there was a new student who went by the name of Victor Stone.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	37. Chapter 29: Sneaking into School

_Now the game is set..._

"_The blood-dimmed tide is loosed,_

_and everywhere the ceremony_

_of innocence is drowned…"_

_~Yeats_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 29: Sneaking into School

Jinx was draped in jewels from the bank vault, examining them while Mammoth tried to lift a palette of gold. Gizmo, who had been made team leader, was flying around carrying a bag of money.

"Move it snub crunchers, we're running out of time."

Mammoth gave one more grunt before he gave up and glared at his two teammates.

"I could use a hand here," he snapped.

"How about a foot," Cyborg interjected, his boot sending the teen crashing into the far wall. The Trio gasped, looking to the entrance where the six Teen Titans stood.

Robin pulled out his bow staff, "Titans, go!"

Jinx dropped her jewels as she raced towards Raven and Phantom sending a brigade of purple magic their way. Both dancing around it as the ceiling started crumbling.

Cyborg let loose his sonic cannon at Mammoth. "Three raids in one week, man this is seriously getting old," he growled before trading places with Robin.

"The HIVE Academy's new leader must be up to something," the boy wonder said when Jinx twirled in front of him, destroying two of the bank vaults columns as she grinned her cat grin.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she taunted as a star-bolt slammed into her back. Starfire landed behind her, eyes electric green.

"Yes we would," she snarled both girls engaging in battle. Up on the second level Gizmo was piling gems into his satchel when lama spit slammed into the side of his head.

"Hey!" he yelled looking over to the green changeling before Beastboy changed into a raptor and the kid screamed higher than a prepubescent teen. Beastboy charged, his teeth about to reach Gizmo's power pack when someone crashed through the wall and nailed him in the stomach.

Groaning, Phantom sat up to the now human changeling and smiled apologetically, "Sorry. Mammoth the lummox sure packs a punch."

On the ground level, Mammoth was grinning at his handy work when Cyborg slammed into him for retribution. That is, until Gizmo pressed a button and he was stuck to the ceiling by a gigantic magnet.

"Oh, you did not just do what I think you did?!" Cy screamed fuming mad.

"Check it out, the world's dumbest magnet!" Gizmo screeched while Phantom flew up to the mechanical teen to free him. When Jinx was blasted back by Raven, Gizmo suddenly knew it was time to go. As they headed for the vault exit, Robin threw a black tracer, sticking it to the back of Jinx's dress as they dodged her magic. Once they were gone and Danny had successfully freed his friend, Cyborg stomped forward like an angry bull.

"Yo, no one pulls a science fair on me and gets away with it!"

"It's okay Cyborg," Robin answered, helping Starfire up.

"We'll see them again. Sooner than they think," Cyborg couldn't help but smirk when his friend held up his communicator, a little red light flashing across the grid. Back at the Tower the HIVE emblem blazed on the city map.

Beastboy grinned. "Tracking device, very sneaky. Looks like the HIVE's secret headquarters isn't so secret anymore."

"So what are we waiting for?" Raven asked looking to Robin.

"We need to know what they're planning first," he stated as Phantom turned to look at Raven.

"Otherwise we could walk right into a trap."

At this Beastboy gasped and leapt into action. "Do I hear an undercover assignment coming on? Lucky for you guys, I happen to be a master of disguise." To this he started changing into animals causing Starfire to giggle and Danny to roll his eyes while Raven glared at the green mongoose.

"Yeah, because you'll really blend in."

Robin shook his head, "Sorry Beastboy, I was thinking of someone with a slightly better disguise."

Beastboy changed back and glared. "What? Oh come on, what're you going to do? Dress Danny up as a ninja or send Cyborg there looking like a washing machine?" BB snapped taping Cyborg, who had been standing there silently, in the chest. He fell over with a clunk scaring the changeling into a chameleon who latched on to Phantom's white glove. The real Cyborg strode in with a smug smile.

"That isn't me. It's my fully robotic replacement. Not nearly as charming but he can bench press a bus," Cy stated while his five friends ogled the now standing machine. However when Star tapped his head the robot promptly yelled boo-ya before it popped off causing all the teens to scream. Leaving the real Cyborg horribly flustered.

"He still has a few bugs to work out."

Beastboy pointedly crossed his arms and tried to keep the whine out of his voice.

"No fair, I may be all-green but he's half-metal! How come he gets to go?"

"Because I have a new toy," Cyborg sang enjoying annoying the little grass stain.

Placing two simple rings with a round opal stone in the center on either hand, Cyborg brought his fists together and in a flash of light the team was looking at a normal guy in gym clothes.

"A holographic generator!" Starfire exclaimed her eyes sparkling in approval.

"Dude, you look…" Beastboy started,

"Unplugged," Raven finished smiling.

"Nice work. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were just normal," Robin stated causing Cyborg to stare at his two dark hands in surprise. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Later when Cyborg was alone in his room, he found gazing at the glowing device behind him easier than looking at his reflection in the mirror dancing outside his peripheral vision. Someone knocked and Cy took a breath.<p>

"It's open," he called.

The doors slid apart and both Robin and Phantom stepped into the room.

"Are you sure about this?" Robin asked in all seriousness. "Going to this school, using your civilian name."

Cyborg turned to face them and had to remind himself that the skin he was seeing wasn't real.

"Yeah man, Danny needs to be extracted anyways, not to mention the red flag he sent us."

"So how am I getting into school?" Cyborg asked. He nearly jumped when Rob appeared from the shadows by his computer console on the other side of the room.

"Man, I hate when you do that."

Robin decided to ignore that.

"The last files Danny sent were the blueprints of the entire HIVE facility with the entire security detail. I've managed to locate a back door in the system so you can get in through an access tunnel on the north side without being detected. After that, you're on your own. You'll need to find out Blood's plan, and locate Danny without endangering your lives further. The longer you stay the riskier it gets."

To this Cyborg turned to look at the full ghost next to him, "How is he?"

Both teens watched as Phantom brushed the silver device behind his left ear.

"Anxious. Blood knows something's up but that's all I'm getting. When can I remove the empathic device?" Danny asked looking to Robin who was gazing at the glowing blue and green ecto-dream catcher.

"Not until Cyborg locates your human half and determines if it's safe. We can't risk you two being drawn back together to early and tip Blood off."

"He's already tipped off man," Cyborg stated stepping forward. "I modified the Dream Catcher to split Danny's Human-half from his Ghost-half without splitting their personalities.

To the side Phantom snorted. "Thanks for that by the way. Otherwise for the last five months you guys would have had to deal with me wearing a bed sheet."

Cy smiled, "No problem man. But in order to achieve this I created the empathic devices." On the massive computer screen Cyborg pulled up the design schematic, breaking it apart.

"Each ear piece links to their synoptic nerves and links up their entire nervous systems. Effectively allowing both human and ghost to feel the other's emotions and physical duress with a simple touch while allowing Phantom to co-exist here on our plane without needing to replenish his ectoplasm in the Ghost Zone."

Danny hovered forward, "And the devices prevent me from unconsciously being drawn back to my point of origin if one or both are removed, right? Like the first time I was separated from my human-half before my parents found me down in the lab."

"Yeah," Cy agreed.

"I understand this, Cyborg. I helped program the devices," Robin stated stepping forward his cape clinging to the shadows. "What's your point?"

"My point is, "Cyborg answered, turning to face the computer banks pulling up the latest scans of the halfa's Nero pathways. "Fenton and Phantom might be more linked than we originally thought. Human Danny's scans show a higher electrical flow conclusive to when he uses his lightening power. And here, see this spike; it aligns perfectly to the time when our Danny collapsed in the training room, your ice core suddenly starting to de-stabilize from unknown causes."

Both Robin's and Phantom's eyes went wide.

"You're saying," Danny said looking up into Cyborg's human face. "That Blood somehow found out about my meta power and is making me use it?"

"Not only that. I did a scan, around the time you collapsed there was a massive electrical spike on the circuit grid that killed power to an entire city area. The same area where HIVE Academy is. Whatever happened to Human Danny afterwards is big enough to warrant suspicion."

"The fear I felt afterwards," Phantom trailed off his hand unconsciously coming to rest on the device.

Cyborg nodded his head, "That's what I'm saying man. Blood's already suspicious and leaving Danny venerable without his powers is a bad idea Rob. That's why I think Phantom should take off his device."

"No," Robin stated moving from where he'd been leaning against the wall.

"Even if Blood suspects something re-joining Danny may make things worse. Especially if he monitors the Titans through the media. Danny can't maintain a clone that long or that far away. Right now, separation is Danny's best weapon."

To this Phantom smiled and gently nudged Cyborg out of his shock before he could start arguing with their spiky haired leader.

"Besides Cyborg, I can take care of myself. And I'm not sensing anything too distressing so I'll be fine, you'll head out in an hour anyways. So take the time to get to know yourself again, Vic."

Cyborg jumped at Danny's use of his name and for the first time he noticed how human he looked again. Quietly, Danny and Robin left, one walking the other floating.

"So, how are we going to explain this to the others?" Danny asked watching how his friend grimaced.

"I don't know yet. But the mission is hardly over yet and Cyborg's right, the longer you two stay apart the riskier it gets. I've already had to adjust your ear piece three times to prevent you from joining and it's only going to get more dangerous," Robin explained trailing off, and Danny could see how much his friend was beating himself up with worry, so he quickly messed up the teens hair. Robin gave a yell and tore through the Tower, determined to make the ghost pay.

* * *

><p>After Danny and Robin left, Cyborg looked into the full body mirror by his weights and saw Victor stone— star athlete— with two normal eyes and dark brown skin covering well defined muscles. It made him feel giddy to be looking at himself again. Pretty soon he was making faces and muscle poses that would have many a girl swooning.<p>

"Ah, yeah man, somebody's been working out!" he added two arm-flexes before he turned to his door and realized Starfire was standing there. His stomach got lost somewhere in the ground from embarrassment and he felt a blush heat across his skin.

"Whoa! He Star, I didn't…how long have you been standing there?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck nervously, a habit he'd picked up from Danny.

"Forgive me, your door was open," she answered. Which was the nice what of saying she'd been standing there since the beginning, and it made Cy's heart drop out in shock till he remembered who she was and shrugged.

"Ah, it's cool. Just checking out the old unimproved me. I've forgotten what it was like to have real hands. Well, almost real," he amended, flexing them while looking at the two rings. Starfire walked up, gazed down for a moment before meeting his eyes sadly.

"They are most convincing. However, my preference is for the original."

Cyborg couldn't stop the decrepit laugh that escaped before he turned to face the man in the mirror.

"This is the original, Star," he answered, feeling her place a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was about to say something when Robin interrupted from where he stood at the entrance.

"Cyborg, it's time."

Cy gave one last look at the Tamaranian before he followed Robin out.

It was lunch time when Cyborg entered the school and he groaned a little at being handed some questionable mashed potatoes on his tray. Turning, he scanned the room for any sign of Danny. He wasn't here and Cy had to squish his growing fear back down as he anxiously tried to pick a table.

"Okay play it cool and…" Cy trailed off when he realized all the students were staring at him. Cyborg quickly took a whiff of his lunch tray and smiled.

"Sloppy Joes, just like the mad scientist who created me used to make," he nearly sweat dropped in relief when everyone went back to ignoring him. Taking a seat at the empty table, Cyborg hoped Danny would hurry up and show his ninja self. He was about to take a bite when three shadows loomed up behind him.

"You're in my seat," Mammoth growled from where he glowered down at him.

Cyborg really hated his luck. Gizmo floated next to him, sneering. "Hey newbie, this is our table. What do you think you're doing here?" he asked while Jinx slunk so close Cy could smell her rosemary perfume.

"He looks familiar, did you go to Dark Wave Prep?" she questioned and Cyborg had no idea what to say.

"What's your name, punk?"

"Probably something stupid, let me guess Snot Man? No wait, Captain Nose Picker!" Gizmo exclaimed laughing.

"Do you even have any powers?" Jinx asked her nose scrunching up in disgust at the thought if he said no. When Mammoth reached out and snagged his sandwich.

"I'm hungry." He at the entire thing in one bite. "Get lost."

Gizmo sniffed haughtily and threw a flat disk underneath Cy's chair. "Yeah scum, take a hike." The mini landmine went off and Cyborg screamed as he was flung across the room. The entire cafeteria burst into ruckus laughter, and Cyborg felt anger burn in him, growling he slammed his fists together turning him into a statue of rock the gods would have been proud of, in a flash of light. Before the Trio could even blink, Cyborg swung his fist and their entire table broke. The wave of power reaching all the way to the far wall. At their dumbfounded expressions he smirked and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"My name is Stone, and it looks like you need to find a new table."

Gizmo chuckled nervously while Mammoth whistled low.

"Not bad."

Jinx merely shrugged.

It was as Cyborg was turning to leave did he see two students sitting a few tables back. The young woman in Red, Cyborg immediately recognized as Valarie. She looked up from her food and whispered something to the teen across from her dressed in all black. Cyborg watched as the boy's back straightened slightly before the teen lowered his hood and turned, revealing messy black bangs covering a pair of very familiar ice blue eyes. And even though the mask covered half the teen's face, Cyborg knew Danny was smiling. Unconsciously, he took a step towards them when a slim arm wrapped around his.

"I don't think so big guy, you don't want to hang out with them," Jinx stated, smiling.

"And why not?" Cy asked shedding his Stone appearance, surprised when he saw Jinx blush while looking up at his normal face.

Gizmo snorted, "Because those two are the teacher's pets. Shadow especially."

As they left the lunch room, Cyborg raised an eyebrow, the silver band around his forehead following.

"Shadow?"

Mammoth growled, "Don't know his real name. Kid hardly speaks and besides, the girl's way tougher."

Jinx giggled, "That's because you've never fought Shadow and trust me, he's good."

"He's still a no good barf brain who uses his sword for everything," Gizmo sniffed and both Jinx and Mammoth burst out laughing.

"You're just upset because he used it to slice your weapons pack open for messing with his girlfriend Red." Jinx answered and Cyborg reeled from this information. Danny had a girlfriend? And it was Valarie?!

"Anyways, Stone, let's see how you do in combat practice."

Cyborg felt his stomach clinch up in nervousness again. The arena was massive, tall and completely done like a bee-hive. And Cyborg tried to ignore the students sitting in the stands watching. A bell rang and the honey comb tile they were standing on began to rise. Cyborg put his hands together and became Stone while the Trio turned serious. The finish line rose on the opposite side of the room.

"Gamma maneuver," Jinx suddenly called before leaping into action along with Gizmo.

"Wait, I don't know that!" Cyborg called, panicking as Mammoth shoved him aside.

"Then get out of the way," he answered dropping down and taking off. The big guy was all ready out of range when the robots appeared. Cyborg let out a frustrated growl and tried to ignore Gizmo's and Mammoth's taunting laughs before Jinx said something about the Headmaster watching. He promptly stopped listening when the three became pitifully trapped by some mechanical tentacle arms. With one final push, Cyborg threw off the robots and cracked his disguised knuckles and took off at a dead run.

Easily stomping on the tentacles aimed at him, flipping up and over the HIVE Trio in a acrobatic move Rob had taught him. Cyborg looked back in time to see plasma guns charging to fire at them. Thinking fast, he ripped off two floor panels, spun to gain momentum before sending them hurtling through the air. Cutting not only the restraints on the teens but destroying the guns as well. Still struggling, Cyborg helped disentangle them, helping Jinx up last, he gave her a brief smile before Gizmo pointed straight ahead.

"We gotta cross the finish line." All four took off and when the bell rang again, Stone depowered and smirked proudly at the team.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Zip it, grapple grain!" Gizmo hissed.

"You, Stone!" Brother Blood called coming up to them on a floating panel, his expression less than amused. "Sneaking into my school, destroying my drones, making some of my top students look like amateur pick pockets. You must think you're very clever. But you're not clever," Blood stated while Cyborg tried not to flinch and Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth all had their jaws dropping in shock and fear till Brother Blood smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're brilliant. Well done, Mr. Stone, well done."

Cyborg let out the breath he'd been holding and felt his heart restart.

"I see a bright future here for you at HIVE Academy."

"Hey, thanks. Great school you've got here, Professor Blood."

Brother Blood gave a small smile before remembering the three other students standing in the corner. He rounded on the Trio who were already cowering in fear.

"And as for you three, failure will not be tolerated. You were already sent back after graduating once. Fail me again and I'll have you sent to your doom! Do I make myself clear?" he asked, and Cyborg nearly gasped when he saw their eyes go red before bowing in complacence. Now he knew why Robin had sent Danny ahead of him. And Cyborg watched almost in a daze as Blood turned to the other students and spoke on unveiling their class project. Cyborg stood in silence as the teens all chanted their Headmasters name. As the students were filing out, Blood motioned for Cyborg to follow.

"I've been looking for another student to train alongside my newest protégé. And I do believe Mr. Stone, your powers and quick thinking will compliment his nicely."

"Uh, thanks Professor."

Blood gave a small nod before opening the teal door, revealing a smaller training room. A lone figure sitting in the lotus pose, katana resting next to him. Upon entering, Danny stood, silently moving to stand beside Brother Blood and Cyborg tried not to shiver at how creepy that was.

"Stone, meet Danny or as he is known in these hallways, Shadow."

Danny extended his hand for Cy to shake.

"It's an honor to meet you, Stone."

Cyborg flushed from trying not to laugh at how formal Danny sounded and he could see annoyance flash in those eyes as he reached out and shook his hand.

"Uh, thanks but you can call me Vic."

Danny gave a nod and turned to Blood, awaiting instructions.

"Stone, I'd like you to follow Daniel's schedule. He'll be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Classes start at six a.m. sharp. Have a nice night," Blood said before leaving. When Cyborg was sure the man was gone he turned to Danny and yanked him into a hug.

"It's good to see you, man."

Danny gave an 'ack' noise before he pulled away and lowered his mask. His whole face lighting up in a smile.

"Thanks. I'm surprised Blood likes you so much."

"I'm a likable guy. Speaking of, you're not…" he trailed off with some vague hand motions, and Danny cocked his head to the side before his eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, no, I'm not under Blood's mind control. I can hear his voice in my head, but I can take care of myself."

Cyborg let out a sigh of relief.

"So what's this whole class project hype about?"

"Don't know. Blood's keeping it under lock and key, and he doesn't exactly trust me at the moment. He found out about my empathic device."

Cyborg felt his heart hammer in panic. "And?"

Danny shrugged, "I said it was helping me stay alive which isn't a lie. It's the truth but…"

"Not the absolute truth either," Cy finished, smiling proudly at his friend.

Danny nodded, "Blood can't read thoughts but he can sense when he's being lied to through the mind's inability to lie to itself."

"So instead you've been giving facts and weaving them together to form _a_ truth just not _the_ truth, easy enough to fool him."

"Yep. Technically, if I lose this device, I die."

Cyborg shook his head, "Man, even in your head you've got a silver tongue. I'll contact Robin and figure out what this class project is. You focus on maintaining your cover. And are you really dating Valarie?"

He asked as they walked down the hall, Danny pulling up his mask.

"It's complicated, she also asked me to the Sadie Hawkin's dance in two days. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow," Danny said turning and walking down the hall. Cyborg waited till the place was empty before he contacted the Tower. Robin jumping on screen, his voice filtering in.

"I don't think Cyborg would appreciate…"

"Appreciate what? The fact that he's already the top butt kicker in his class," he stated choosing to ignore Beastboy yanking a big green hat and putrid yellow scarf off his robotic replacement.

"Your infiltration is successful, yes?" Starfire asked.

"You bet. Had a couple of close calls though…uh, Shadow's fine, Blood's keeping a close eye on him though."

On screen Phantom visibly relaxed from where he stood next to Robin while Star, Raven and Beastboy gave each other curious looks.

"What have you learned?" Robin asked, and Cy started walking down the hall, mindful that his forearm was exposed.

"They're working on some kind of class project. Sounds heavy but no details yet."

"We'll find out and get out," Robin ordered.

"Got it. Stone out." Cyborg had fully reactivated his holographic generator when Gizmo, Mammoth and Jinx appeared down the hallway.

"Well what do you know, it's the Headmaster's new scrumbuffin' pet."

Cyborg backed away before Jinx stepped forward. "Get him. And don't bother trying to run."

"You won't get far," Mammoth commented, "The whole schools in on it."

"In on what?" Cy asked warily.

"What do you think pifred brains? You're initiation." At this, mechanical arms held out a unicycle and a pink frilly dress.

Cyborg gave a startled laugh. "That's it?"

Mammoth smirked, "Don't laugh. You have to eat the unicycle."

That was unexpected.

* * *

><p>The next day, Cyborg stepped out of his room to see Danny and Jinx in a glaring contest. When they noticed him, Jinx promptly blushed and Cyborg knew Danny wasn't going to let him live this down.<p>

"It looks good on you," the ninja snarked, Jinx giggled, and oh, Cyborg was so going to get the halfa back for this. Turns out, the classes were a lot harder than Cyborg had expected, and it didn't help that the only reason Gizmo didn't completely hate Shadow or Red was because they never answered questions in class. Which was something Cyborg couldn't help but do.

"So that's why any effective Doomsday plan needs, Mr. Stone?"

Cyborg jolted in his chair, "Uh, effective miss direction."

"Correct. Moving on," Brother Blood said turning back to the chalk board.

Danny gave him a thumbs-up, while Valarie smiled, Jinx had hearts in her eyes, and Gizmo was fuming behind him while Mammoth stifled his laughter. It was such ordinary drama between their growing hodgepodge friendship, Cyborg caught somewhere in the middle between them, that he didn't know what to do. Plus the Sadie Hawkins Dance was tonight, that was another ordeal all together.

Jinx had asked him along with a handful of girls he hadn't even met. Some of the braver ones had asked Danny and both Titans watched in amusement as Red chased them off. But when Cyborg saw Jinx standing outside his dorm room, dressed in a long black and pink corset dress, her hair pinned up in loose curls, her beauty offsetting his light blue tux, Cyborg felt, normal.

The dance floor was covered in flashing lights, students moving to the beat. Tables surrounding them so they could sit, eat, talk and the girls could kick off their extremely tall high heels. Cyborg and Jinx ended up sitting with a girl named Bumblebee and her date along with Danny and Valarie. Gizmo and Mammoth over by the drinks, spiking the punch. It was fun. Cyborg realized and Jinx was stunning and cute and it suddenly hurt, knowing that this was his first school dance. As well as his last.

Turning his head to the side while he and Jinx swayed to the music, her soft face resting on his shoulder, Cyborg saw Danny and Valarie moving slowly together. When the halfa met his eyes for a moment, the mask was gone on his friend's face. Instead, there was sad acceptance. Cyborg looked away, he'd only been here for three days and he didn't want to leave. Regardless of the fact that this place was evil. He didn't want to think what five months would have done to him.

Four more days passed in a blur until finally Cyborg heard the hum in his arm. Robin was calling.

"This isn't a good time guys, we've got a theory of mayhem test tomorrow and I'm totally going to bomb."

"Please tell me you're joking," Robin groaned.

"Yeah, uh, look sorry I haven't checked in. I've been learning their combat techniques," aka. getting his tin can handed to him by a very human Danny. "Weapons training," Valarie helped him with that. "Armor and we had a dance..."

"A dance?! Cyborg, you're there to find out what the HIVE is planning. Not learn to tango." Robin snapped.

"I know, I know," Cy said trying to placate his friend. "This hasn't exactly been a tea party okay. I just need a little more time."

"Or maybe it's time we went on the offensive," Robin answered, and as Cyborg made his way to the computer labs, Robin glanced over to Phantom. Green eyes met his, and Danny gave a slight nod before stepping back, running a hand through his snow white hair.

* * *

><p>Valarie and Danny were studying in their dorm room when feelings of sharp apprehension coursed through him.<p>

"Danny, are you okay?" Valarie asked noticing how his pencil had stilled.

"Huh, oh it's nothing. I'm gonna go get some air."

Quickly Danny stood, exiting their room, pondering why his other half had sent those feelings. Unless Cyborg was making his move. Making a fast decision, Danny forked left instead of right, heading to the computer labs.

It took Cyborg about fifteen minutes to hack into their systems.

"I'm in."

"Good, just make it quick," Robin ordered on his arm screen.

Cy set to typing. "O.k. I found the mainframe, whoa think I just found the class project. They're building something called…"

"An Ion Amplifier," Brother Blood finished. Stepping out of the shadows calmly as Cyborg scrambled to stand, terminating Robin's call as he hid his arm behind him.

"Well this is a surprise, Mr. Stone. Or should I say Cyborg," Brother Blood continued, in an instant Cy dropped his disguise and aimed his sonic cannon at the man's heart. Outside the room, Danny stood frozen in place, his sword drawn.

"Relax, I don't want to fight. It's a remarkable device really, compact, elegant, devastating in its power," Blood explained holding up the black and gold arm band. "But it's nothing compared to you."

"What do you want from me?" Cyborg growled as Blood sat the device down on the desk, moving over to stand in front of the teen. His long white robe giving the appearance of a ghost floating across water.

"Oh it's not what I want that matters. It's what you want and what I can give you."

Suddenly Cyborg understood what Danny meant when he said about Blood's mental voice. Trembling, he stumbled back, trying to get away from the man as he raised his palm to touch Cyborg's sonic cannon. Silently, Danny moved forward but stopped at the look of wonder that passed across his friend's face. Steeling himself Danny retreated, there was nothing he could do now watching as Cyborg turned over his palm.

"My hand, I can feel it. It's real," he whispered the prickle of human nerves, real muscle moving instead of synthetic made him shudder in amazement and disbelief. Then it was gone. His metal hand returned and Cyborg screamed falling to his knees in devastation. Blood placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Serve me, and I can make you what you once were, I can give back your life."

Pleading eyes met his, "I'll do anything you ask."

Quietly, Danny listened to Blood's plan against the Titans, waiting until Cyborg went to collect Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo to inform them of their assignments when he moved from the ceiling and onto the floor.

"Do you really think it's wise to be fooling Cyborg into killing his friends?" Danny asked as Blood turned to face him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"And what makes you think I'm controlling him at all, Daniel?"

"I don't know? Maybe because alongside your telekinetic power you can alter perception, memories, even controlling your students decisions. That's why Valarie doesn't remember telling you about my meta ability, because she _can't _remember. You've been using her to spy on me," Danny said glaring up at the man.

Brother Blood had gone eerily silent before he sighed. "You really are smarter than I give you credit for, my pupil. But what's to stop me from eradicating your memories?"

At this Blood's eye went red, and Danny circled his teacher feeling Blood stab his mind. He only had seconds to act.

"You misunderstand me, sensei."

Blood paused, his eyes turned back, and Danny felt the hold on him release.

"What do you mean?"

Blood watched as his pupil walked up to him and gazed directly into his eyes. A foolish and brave act.

"What I'm saying is that you need someone loyal to you regardless of your control."

Blood reached out and grasped the teen under his chin, watching as not even fear flickered in Daniel's eyes. Blood felt pride swell in him.

"You would stay by my side, even at the risk of my controlling you?"

"I will."

Brother Blood found himself smirking in triumph and he straightened, letting his clawed hand fall away.

"Very well then, this is my one command: you will agree to never lie to me. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Very well." And Blood watched as those ice blue eyes turned brilliant red in the pitch dark room and Danny felt the order sear through his mind.

* * *

><p>Valarie was worried. Ever since Danny had been released from the medical wing he'd been different. On edge, not that anyone but her could tell. And now he had spaced out before suddenly wanting air? It made no sense and now it had her wandering the halls, heart hammering in worry. By chance she passed one of the vacant computer labs only it wasn't empty, sliding up against the wall Valarie amplified the sound on her visor and listened in to Danny's voice.<p>

"Are you sure he'll be able to complete the task? They are his friends."

"Were," Blood corrected. "But you're right. The Teen Titans needn't perish yet, I have some employers who wouldn't like their plans being disrupted by their deaths. That is why you, Daniel, will save them." Blood stated and Valarie felt her pulse quicken, just what exactly was Danny getting himself into?

"How?" Danny asked calmly but Val knew better, she could hear the undertone of relief.

"When Cyborg takes aim you will deter him and help them escape my school, gain their trust by living in their city and report to me."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now I believe you have some studying to catch up on."

With this Valarie hastily returned to their room, sitting on their bed in shock. A few minutes passed before Danny entered.

"Valarie, you're still up?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes. I am," Val answered noticing how her voice held no inflection. So did Danny, concern overcame him, and it ripped holes in Val's chest. In three strides, she crossed the room and cradled his face in her palms, as if afraid Danny would disappear.

"Val, what's wrong?"

Her voice choked in her throat, but Val managed to fight past it.

"Danny, why are you doing this? Why are you willingly going to work for Blood?"

She watched those blue eyes widen. His lips parting in shock before a wall seemed to come up between them, and Val nearly punched Danny for that.

"Valarie, I can't explain but please trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Doing? Danny, Blood's evil. I knew this coming in on my scholarship. So did you after that Titan girl tried to kill you. So why?"

"Because I'm not the hero right now," Danny answered pulling away, raking a hand through midnight hair, refusing to look at her and Valarie scoffed.

"Not right now? Believe it or not Fenton, I can tell when you're bullshiting your way through half-truths and this is one of them," she snarled in anger, watching Danny's posture stiffen.

"And besides, even if you help the Titans they won't so easily let you join, not after Terra. Especially since they don't even know you!" It was then Valarie realized she'd been screaming. Her throat aching in pain as silence descended in the soundproof room. For a long moment, Danny only stood there, then like a puppet cut from its strings, he sagged onto the bed, gazing down at his hands.

"That's not entirely true, Val," Danny whispered and Valarie reeled back as if she'd been slapped.

"What do you mean?" She asked dread knotting in her gut.

"I know one Teen Titan," he stated, and Valarie knew Danny wasn't referring to Starfire.

She collapsed beside him, her eyes searching his face.

"How long?"

"How do you think he got his ghost hunting equipment?" Danny answered and instantly Val was on her feet. But Danny grabbed her wrist before she could flee.

"Valarie _please," _he begged.

"No. You've known Phantom since before he left Amity Park. Since before Pariah Dark, you've known and you led me along," Valarie choked, her voice wrenching. Tears streaming down her face while Danny's eyes pleaded for understanding.

"Val, he's not what you think…"

"He's Phantom!" she screamed, fists coming up to pound weakly into Danny's chest even as strong arms wrapped around her.

"And you're a perfect hunter? Val, he's made mistakes. No one's perfect…_please_, try to understand…"

"Understand what? That when I was down with a leg broken in two places, he slammed into me with enough force it crushed my bones into the ground? Causing nerve damage that still affects me? What do you want me to understand, Danny? What do you want me to forgive?" Valarie begged, sobbing into the crook of Danny's neck. Warm lips brushed the top of her head and his arms pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry," Danny whispered hoarsely and damn, his voice sounded so far gone. It was like he was apologizing in Phantom's place. It made Valarie feel like the bad guy, and it pissed her off that Danny, the cute nerd Fenton, could do this to her. It made her equally love him more.

Slowly, after many deep breaths and the soothing circles Danny was tracing into her back, Valarie felt some sense of her composure return, along with the horrible flood of embarrassment at having ruined a nice uniform.

"Danny, I'm…"

"If you say you're sorry Val, I'm going to kick your ass," Danny stated, his smile was pinched in worry but Val could see the humor in his eyes.

She chuckled, "I'd like to see you try, Fenton. You still can't beat me in a fight."

Danny flushed, "That's because you cheat."

"No, I'm devious," she quipped back, moving out of his cool arms so he could change. It was when the scars were revealed did Val take a breath.

"Danny, what you said, please give me time. Forgiveness isn't as easy for me as it is you."

The knife wound disappeared under a layer of black, and Valarie looked up to Danny's understanding gaze.

"I understand. But Val, this mission it'll be starting soon."

Valarie felt her heart jolt at this, and she stepped forward, placing her hands in the folds of the tunic where that scar was.

"You still won't tell me the details as to how you got this."

Danny shifted uneasily, "I…"

As his voice trailed off Valarie smiled sadly up at him.

"You know, I may not forgive but you don't trust."

To this Danny gave a small laugh, running a hand through his hair.

"A perfect combination, right?" his hands stilled and he looked to the clock. "It'll be starting soon."

Valarie felt her heart stop, but she pulled away and grinned her broad grin. Ignoring the voice in her head whispering how both of them knew how to make the other miserable.

"Go get them, Fenton."

She watched the door close, her smile fell leaving her alone in thought. For if Danny said he wasn't the hero right now…Val didn't finish that sentence. She wouldn't give Blood anymore ammo to harm the boy she loved.

* * *

><p>Phantom teleported into the Academy and looked around.<p>

"Clear." He answered before a black bird swooped into the room and the rest of the Titans emerged as well as Cyborg's robot self. Robin flipped open his communicator and looked at the red dot, the team following closely behind him.

"I'm picking up Cyborg's signal directly below us." Right as he said this, the floor tile they were standing on flipped and all of the Titans screamed in shock before Phantom managed to grab hold of Robin to stop their leader from being made a pancake. The lights flared to life and the team found themselves standing in a battle arena, Cyborg disguised as Stone along with Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth on the other side.

"Not good," Beastboy mumbled looking up at them.

"The Teen Titans," Brother Blood said floating in on his panel. "So nice to make your acquaintance. I'd introduce you to my students but I'm fairly certain you've already met."

"Attack pattern, Alpha," Stone ordered and the Titans watched in shock as Cyborg led the charge. Blood watched the battle from high above, the shadows in the hall moving momentarily. As Starfire and Phantom battled Gizmo, Jinx took on Raven as Mammoth went after Beastboy who was protecting the robot. And Robin was left fighting Stone, his shock making his movements sluggish.

"Cyborg, take it easy," he hissed before a hand grabbed his hair and Cy threw him into the nearby wall.

Beastboy was desperately searching the controls for the robot Cyborg, "Oh c'mon, how do you make this thing…oh, attack mode."

The robot charged into a wall leaving a decent sized hole and a very confused changeling.

Starfire and Danny were battling multiple Gizmos.

"Hey Star, mini-sun!"

With this both teens condensed their energy and when Starfire took Phantoms hand their powers exploded out like a growing sun. Gizmo's previous taunting voice going shrill as he crashed landed when Mammoth slammed both teens together and into the ground. Shaking the stars from his eyes, Phantom growled, his eyes flashing dangerously green but slight movement behind Brother Blood stilled him. Right, the curtains still up.

Robin pulled out his escrima sticks and blocked the flurry of punches.

"Knock it off, Cyborg. It's time to drop the act."

"This isn't an act," Cyborg growled. In the next instant, Robin was sliding across the floor next to Star and Phantom. Raven following, Jinx's magic throwing her into Phantom's arms as Mammoth added Beastboy to the pile before Gizmo entrapped them in a golden dome. The release button on the outside top of the shield.

"A force field, Phantom, can you?" Robin asked but Danny shook his head.

"I can but it would take you guys with it."

Stone walked up to the force field when the robotic Cyborg grabbed his middle and tackled him into the wall. Both emerging and Stone glared at his creation. Stone charged and punched Cyborg in the face, sending him into a column creating a crater in it. The robot opened its eyes and hit back.

"Boo-ya!"

"Boo-ya this," Stone growled and he was on top of the robot destroying it, pounding his fist so hard the robot fell apart with sickening ease, the ring on his right hand shattering, revealing who he truly was to everyone in the room.

"I knew it!" Gizmo yelled to the startled Trio. "The scumbag is one of them!" he fumed.

"No, he's one of us," Blood answered walking forward, his eyes red.

"And I'm ready to prove it," Cyborg replied both eyes glowing.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. This will magnify your power by amplitudes unimagined," Blood stated holding up the devastating Ion weapon, placing it around Cyborg's sonic cannon.

"Destroy them for me, and you will have your reward."

Shadow watched from his perch in the darkness as Cyborg pointed the weapon at their friends. Danny tensed, the Dragon's Gale drawn when he saw Cyborg smile.

"Psyche!"

It was completely unexpected when Cyborg whirled around and fired at Blood. The man barely managed to throw up a red energy field before blue slammed into it, forcing the energy upwards and destroying the main hull of the school. Everything began to crumble, when Valarie felt the tremble, she sent a silent pray to whatever god would listen to her, to keep Danny safe as she left the compound.

In the chaos of the crumbling arena, Danny decided it was time to improvise, leaping down, his sword cut through the containment device with ease. Startling Beastboy and Starfire, who both gasped as Raven's eyes went wide, she was about to say something. But Danny placed a finger to his covered lips and they remained silent.

In front of them Blood was furious.

"A foolish choice my friend, very foolish," he said backing onto his floating panel where Mammoth and Gizmo stood. Jinx gazed up at Cyborg, hurt in her cat eyes. "You could have been one of us."

"I could have been a lot of things," Cyborg replied. Jinx merely shook her head before rejoining the Headmaster. Disappearing into another hallway.

Cyborg turned to see his friends standing behind him, smiling in joy and pride. Robin lifted his head up as if just realizing the place was coming down.

"Raven, get us out of here."

"Thought you'd never ask."

* * *

><p>Beastboy was sitting on the couch in the Tower's living room in deep contemplation as he looked at Danny and Danny.<p>

"Dude, is that why you never changed back?"

Ghost Danny sighed, "Yep."

Beastboy then looked to Cyborg, "And the reason you were being a jerk to us?"

"Because when I found out what this thing could do I had to get Brother Blood to trust me. So sorry for playing ruff."

The changeling then looked over to Human Danny.

"And you really went all ninja at that school because?"

"To figure out Blood's abilities and gain the knowledge and layout of the school. Oh, and I'm good at not getting brainwashed. Not immune to it like Cyborg is apparently, but I manage." To this Danny sent a fond glare at his friend, and Raven tilted her head in curiosity.

"But if Blood had all those HIVE kids were brainwashed, why not you?"

As an explanation Cyborg pointed to the mechanical part of his head.

"Because half my mind is electronic. He may be able to fool the man but he couldn't fool the machine."

Robin smiled at this. "Which means next time we face Blood we have our own secret weapon."

Cy grinned, "Whatever man, I'm just glad it's over."

Human Danny idle swung his legs in the air from where he sat on the counter top and perked up as if waiting to hear those words.

"Which means we can take these devices off."

With this both Danny's removed their empathic devices, and the Titans watched as Phantom turned clear and flew inside human Danny whose aura momentarily flared, his ice blue eyes turning green and dazedly he stood.

"Okay, five months of different memories to catch up on and…Beastboy, I can't believe you did that!" Danny fumed as the changeling sheepishly backed away.

* * *

><p>Cyborg was standing in front of the mirror, looking at the holographic self from his past. Sighing, he pulled off the ring and Cyborg returned.<p>

"Goodbye, Stone."

"For your thoughts I will pay six grumbfars," Starfire said walking in. He really needed to start remembering to close his door.

"If that's your way of asking if I'm okay, don't worry I'm fine. I never got to finish high school because of this," he gestured to his hands."And when I was at the HIVE, for a while there, I actually felt normal."

Starfire took his hands in hers and smiled, "I did not know you before. So to me, you are normal." Cy found himself smiling at her wise words when they heard Beastboy call his name.

* * *

><p>Danny put his uniform away, grateful to be back to in comfortable jeans and washed out shirts as he carefully placed the Dragon's Gale back in her case. When the door slid open and Robin stepped inside. And while his ghost memories were used to the changes Robin had undergone, Danny's human memories weren't.<p>

For Robin's uniform was darker. Where there had been green was now pitch black and the red of his tunic had been reinforced so that Danny could see the sweeping lines of separated plates. But not only that his friend had grown, Robin was still shorter than him by a few inches but overall Danny found that Robin looked older. More worn out with age. It was then Danny realized that to Robin, so did he.

"I take it everything went as planned," Robin stated.

Danny gazed at the oriental box underneath his sword before opening it to reveal a yellow and black HIVE communicator. Robin glanced at it, and Danny shut the lid with a click.

"And Project Endgame?"

Danny met his friend's eyes and gave a nod.

Robin's face hardened, "Then it's a go."

The silence that descended them was a heavy one, both knowing the stakes were high when they heard Cyborg scream at Danny to run and Beastboy suddenly poked his green head in Danny's room a leer on his face.

"Oh Danny, half of you left the Teen Titans," he sang creepily before Raven stuck her head in as well, her eyes mischievous.

"That means you have to go through the initiation." Her tone was that of a devil. In the hallway Cyborg screamed— pleaded— really, for Starfire to let him go.

Danny felt what little color in his face flee. He didn't even get a chance to scream before Robin whipped out a pink wing from god-knows-where and plopped it on his head.

* * *

><p>AN: Read and Review<p>

~Rin


	38. Chapter 30: X Marks the Time

Do you think I could so

easily forget? This time

spent here won't drown

my anger.

_/The lines supposed to be simple,_

Did you forget

where I've been?

_/There is good, and there is evil._

I was dead…

I was dead.

_/Or at least, it's supposed to be._

Why am

I back? Why did I

claw my way

free?

_/But it never is, not for me._

_/Never for me._

Why did you

let her drag me back?

_/I'm supposed to be a good guy,_

_/I thought it was in the past._

This won't change

me. A younger time,

a mirror won't work

on me.

_/And this blurred line won't change me._

_/You can't break me._

I remember, Brother.

-A future eulogy

Recorded by _Ghost Writer_

Witnessed by _Pendulum_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 30: X Marks the Time

The vault where the suit was hidden was almost impossible to crack. Almost. The tumblers gave a twirl under nimble fingers and when the suit was on and Red X gazed back in the mirror, the teen couldn't help but smirk. After all, he had time. And the first order of business: track down more Xenothium and give Robin hell. Running through the city was easier than breathing, and X loved the rush of momentary free fall and the jolt of instant teleportation. It felt so free, even if the air was filtered through the skull mask. But the burn of his muscles working, that was real. God, how had he forgotten this? Missed it?

Getting past the warehouse security system was impossible not to trip, so, X decided to ignore it, let the Titans come. He was itching for a fight. Through the double doors, up the elevator shaft, past the lasers and X was staring at old crates filled with boxed up goodies and if his…mentor (that was going to take some getting used to)…was right, which he undoubtedly was, the scanner should be somewhere around—

—A gasp, and X whirled around to see five Teen Titans looking at him in stunned shock, Robin's face already pale and guilt ridden. Typical.

"Titans, move."

With this, X threw his exploding disks, charging at Raven swiping her feet out from under her with ease before he was forced to dodge star-bolts, flipping up onto the brick wall, pushing off, landing on Star's back and launching up into the steel beams using the metal to rebound one of his electrical shocks, it hit the Tamaranean girl in a flash of red and she hit the ground with a thud. And X really didn't want to be gorilla chow so he stuck a rod in the changeling's mouth. Enjoying Beastboy's priceless expression as the beam snapped, and the hippopotamus crashed down on some crates. Dropping to the floor, he released a palm blast watching the energy x turn into red elastic, attach to some crates and smash them together, Cyborg caught in the middle and honestly, this was the most fun he's ever had.

"C'mon kids, X marks the spot," he sneered as the four Titans charged, and he expertly dodged the sonic canon, enchanted crates, and star-bolts with ease before flickering out of existence to avoid animal fists.

But when he re-appeared on some stacked boxes, the teen knew he needed to wrap this up before…

Robin suddenly slammed into him, and Red tried to ignore the way his ribs screamed in pain as he engaged the boy wonder. And even with all the tech, it was still hard sparring with the fifteen year old who dodged his fist from behind, Robin dropping into a front flip, taking X with him.

"Not bad, kid."

X smirked as Robin redirected his momentum, and X felt his back slam into wood. Robin glaring hatefully at him, one black gauntlet pressed over his skull mask.

"Who are you?"

"If I wanted you to know, would I be wearing a mask?" he snarled back, unfounded anger coursing through him. And while he knew his voice was masked through the electronics, and the fact that technically he shouldn't be here…but could the bird really not tell? With that though fueling him, X sent a pulse of electricity through the Titan, sending Robin crashing through some crates. Cyborg and Raven charged, and he sent a x hurtling at them, watching in fascination as both teen's energies crossed in red, black, and blue light, both screaming in pain.

"Looks like you got your wires crossed," Red stated before dodging Starfire's attacks, trapping her to the wall with a giant x.

And he _really_ needed to get going, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, there was no way he could pass it up. Tilting Star's chin up, the teen gazed in those strange forest green eyes and turned on his charming voice. Which didn't sound right _at all_ with the voice changer in the suit. But. Oh well.

"Hey cutie, the only crime here is that you and I haven't gone out on a date."

When Starfire shot him with her gorgeous green eyes, Red tried not to take it personally. Dropping Beastboy down into the earth was fun, but getting boring. Turning on his heel, X made his way over to Robin who was shaking off the backlash of being electrocuted. Red merely rolled him over and grabbed the scanner underneath him. Making a break for it, X realized Robin was following he turned, threw his weapons, and watched in fascination as the x's wrapped around Robin's feet and the teen actually followed gravities laws and hit the ground. Best. Day. Ever.

"Better luck next time, kid. And thanks for the suit," he smirked pressing the center button on his utility belt, expecting to be teleported away till he flickered back into existence.

"Ah c'mon!" he hissed, this definitely wasn't supposed to happen, the belt wasn't that drained of power. And then it hit him, his mentor promised he wouldn't interfere, apparently, he wasn't above meddling though. The jerk. Robin was slicing through his bindings when Red X felt a cold shiver race down his spine, turning he saw Danny Phantom give a small wave before an ecto-blast hit him square in the chest.

Okay, that really hurt. As he hit the wall, an open sky light caught his view; Phantom was flying towards him, Robin close behind.

"Danny, the scanner!" Robin screamed and yep, running away, a splendid idea. Cursing his big ego, X leapt up onto the roof and hit his belt's power core one more time. Right as Phantom appeared in a green swirl of energy Red felt his belt hum. Never let it be said that hitting something really hard didn't yield results. Whirling around, he danced around Robin by centimeters and gave a mock solute.

"Catch you guys later."

Then he was seven rooftops away, watching the two stunned teens be joined by their teammates.

* * *

><p>Danny felt like a massive idiot for letting Red X get away and Robin looked ten times worse.<p>

"Robin…"

Before the halfa could continue the rest of the team appeared, Starfire gazing at Robin with the upmost scrutiny, and poked him in the arm. Hard.

"Ouch, Starfire, cut that out," Robin hissed trying to swat her hand away.

"Then you are not a hologram?" she asked, Robin visibly winced.

"No."

Starfire didn't look convinced and she started poking him once more to prove it.

"The last time we faced the Red X it was you in disguise, and you were not really there."

"Starfire, knock it off!" Robin screamed practically fuming, but Star merely smiled in joy.

"He is not a hologram," she concluded.

But Beastboy's eyes only narrowed in suspicion, "He could still be a robot, check him for batteries."

When Cyborg pulled on the latex gloves Robin dived behind Danny in panic.

"Wait, please, it wasn't me, I promise!"

"Cy, put the finger down," Danny pleaded being dragged back as the team came closer. But something in Robin's tone made them pause and if Danny believed him…

They watched as Robin turned away, a forlorn expression overcoming him as he gazed out over the city.

"Red X was a mistake, a mistake I won't ever make again."

"Then we should head back to the Tower and figure this out," Cy answered.

* * *

><p>The vault was empty and Robin's glare was threatening it not to be.<p>

"Hey, sorry I couldn't get there sooner, I got held up at the Bookstore with Fixit," Phantom answered, floating in and Robin's shoulders tensed.

"It's alright. I'm more concerned with how the kid managed to get past Titans security _and _managed to crack my safe."

"Talk about brazen, do you know what the guy will be after?"

Robin nodded and headed for the door, "Yeah. Xenothium."

Danny winced, "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

* * *

><p>The streets were dark and humid from the smog trapped between the buildings and of all the pickup places to be, this was not one Danny would have expected. Or wanted. The sleek Aston Martin rounded the corner, and he pulled his black hood further over his head before getting in, mindful of the Dragon's Gale strapped to his hip. The driver was one of Blood's hired muscle who looked at Danny like he was less important than scum on a shoe. Which was really quite funny, since he wasn't the one stuck on driver duty. They pulled up to some fancy bar in China town where the girls were dressed in silk and the men carried automatics and Danny could smell fresh pork buns and stale blood. Good times. As the driver led him through the back rooms Danny took the time to calm his racing heart, coming to a stop at the end of the dark hall, the goon pushed open the door and Danny stepped inside. Stealthily, Danny moved to stand behind Blood, clinging to the shadows of the lavishly decorated room, incense filling his senses as he watched Blood sip sake with Vlad Masters, both men in a heated discussion.<p>

"Yes, while I agree the loss of your school is unfortunate, I don't see why it should merit me backing its rebuilding." Vlad answered waving his hand forward, and a petite Asian girl emerged behind tendrils of bamboo, carrying a tray of sushi.

"You want teens trained in the art of criminality; my school is the best regardless of Cyborg's betrayal."

"It was your own fault for taking an interest in him, instead of taking him out," Vlad rebuffed and it took all of Danny's mental power not to snort at that chastisement. _Do as I say, not as I do,_ apparently is what Vlad lived up to and the young halfa could see his mentor steadily starting to lose his patience.

"Not entirely fruitless," Blood answered, sliding a folder across the table.

Danny watched silently as Vlad flipped it open, his eyes widening as he skimmed it.

"This is quite an endeavor, not easily financed."

"But you will?" Blood asked, triumph in his voice.

Vlad leaned back in his chair and set the file ablaze in pink flames before it turned to smoldering ash.

"I will, but first, prove to me your students are top notch. I've heard their track records have been less than outstanding."

"That's because they weren't my top students." With the snap of his fingers Danny stepped forward, pleased that Vlad looked surprised he had even been there.

"Vlad, meet my protégé, Shadow. I've personally trained him; I trust he will be able to accomplish whatever task you need."

And while Danny really didn't like being pimped to Vlad (as Beastboy would call it) he enjoyed the way the elder halfa clearly tried to figure him out.

"Very well, I need you to steal some data from the Justice League. They've been causing me problems and since they've updated their shielding technology outfitting it with a Ghost Shield I'm afraid I can't get it myself," Vlad answered pulling out a flash drive and sliding it over to Danny, who picked it up and put it in a hidden compartment. Vlad gave an irked look at Danny, obviously having expected some other emotion. One that he wouldn't give and Danny felt immense satisfaction at watching doubt cloud those slate grey eyes.

"They have a base called Mount Justice located in Happy Harbor."

Danny nodded while Blood gave a proud smirk to the teen.

"I trust you to handle this."

Swiftly turning to face his mentor Danny bowed before heading to the door but Vlad made him pause.

"Oh and Shadow, you have forty-two hours."

Great, leave it to Vlad to make this a timed test.

* * *

><p>"Well who is he?" Cyborg asked looking at the computer screen in the main living room with the other Titans, gazing up at dozens of images of Red X caught on camera.<p>

"I mean if Robin is the ex-Red X, then who's the new guy?"

To this Beastboy pulled out a chalk board and pointed to the crazy drawings on it with a flourish.

"Okay, if he's not Robin's evil twin then he's obviously a bionic monkey infused with Robin's DNA."

Starfire and Raven shared the same look before black magic destroyed the chalkboard, and Cyborg took his position back at the computer console.

"Face it, Red X could be anyone smart enough to find the suit, and dumb enough to take it for a joy ride," Raven stated while Star helped Beastboy out of the kitchen from his crash landing.

"And when Robin returns he will help us figure out who…"

"It doesn't matter," Robin answered cutting in as he and Phantom entered the room.

"I created Red X, every system, every weapon, whoever's inside that suit, he's my responsibility," Robin stated glaring up to the screen.

"Well if we're gonna catch him we at least need to figure out what he's after," Cyborg replied and Robin grimaced not speaking.

Danny stepped forward and prayed his friends would go easy on their leader.

"He's after Xenothium, it powers the suit."

Star gasped and Raven's eyes went horribly wide, while Beastboy gave an angry huff. Although Danny figured it was because he didn't know what Xenothium was.

Cy exploded, "Xenothium! You powered that suit with Xenothium! Are you crazy, man? That stuff is dangerous, and unstable! Tell me you were not stupid enough to go messing with it?!" He yelled and with every word, the big gloomy guilt cloud that was the teen wonder seemed to get gloomier.

"Like I said, it was a mistake," Robin said before pulling up the device the teen had taken during the warehouse fight.

"The scanner Red X stole will locate any Xenothium in a ten mile radius."

"So we must locate it first," Star supplied while Cyborg plugged in his chest drive to the mainframe computer.

"X isn't the only one with a scanner. I'm downloading the molecular signature and transmitting to your communicators."

"Thanks, but I won't need it," Robin answered already at the doors, surprising the team.

"How are you going to find the Xenothium without a scanner?" Cy asked.

"The same way I found it the last time," Robin growled before the doors closed ominously behind him.

Danny waited all of five seconded before sighing. "Tail him to make sure he doesn't run into trouble?" he deadpanned and Cy nodded before Danny disappeared, mumbling something about acting like a stupid sparkly vampire and Robin was no way a Bella.

* * *

><p>The air was frigid this high up. Even with the thermals golden boy had built into the suit. But not even the well insulated suit could shield him. Or change how <em>present <em>everything was. Or how _loud_. In the alley below, some teens were competing, dancing to a song about wishes and airplanes, painting spray art onto the walls, which if he cared was really quite beautiful. The smell of warm bread from a late night café drifted through the air and for a moment X thought he'd be sick. Because everything _was _and here he stood, remembering what it was like _not to be. _It was a comical paradox of the worst kind. And with the chiming of the cathedral bells signally that it was midnight, Red X stood. Swinging away, he realized that for the past four hours he hadn't said, thought, or moved a muscle, most people would consider that relaxing or some form of mediation, but to him it felt as if he'd sprinted ten miles. It was all too loud, and he caught himself wishing for silence. Up above a plane came in for landing and the teen snorted. Wishes indeed.

It was ridiculously easy to locate the Xenothium with the scanner and when Red landed on the roof he was irked to see Robin already standing there, looking about the way he felt. A green hawk dropped down and Beastboy raised an eyebrow.

"So you're probably kicking yourself for not getting rid of that suit when you had the chance huh?" he inquired, and Red X jumped when Danny appeared out of thin air and shook his head, motioning for the changeling to drop it even as Robin's shoulders shook in suppressed rage. Another thing X could relate too.

"Heh, forget I said anything."

Robin let out a sigh and looked at his two teammates.

"I couldn't destroy it. The Xenothium power core is too dangerous to dispose of. It was supposed to stay locked away."

Red would have laughed at that well thought out plan when a black circle appeared and Raven rose up from it.

"No sign of Red X," She stated as Starfire dropped down.

"Or of Cyborg."

Robin pulled out his communicator, "Cyborg, report."

Silence.

"X must have attacked him, if Cyborg's hurt it's my fault, I'm responsible."

Talk about jumping to conclusions, Red X thought feeling irked and a little pissed off that such conclusions about his character were being drawn. Not to mention the guiltier Robin became the more he wanted to punch the boy wonder in his face, just to get him to snap out of it.

"No Robin, the error you made it is in the past. You are no longer the one inside that suit."

Red grinned behind the mask and dropped his invisibility.

"And personally, I think it looks much cooler on me," he interceded enjoying the way Robin's face flushed with anger. Yeah, so much better than guilt. This he could handle. Quicker than water he had Beastboy the rhino and Raven trapped, heading towards the edge of the skyscraper, Starfire having to catch them. All that was…ducking from the chill that raced down his spine Red barely dodged an ecto-blast that would have left the mother of all bruises on his back before firing an x, shocking Danny in the chest. Ghosts have a hard time withstanding electricity even halfa ghosts, score one for Red-X. Then he was back hand springing off the skyscraper, Robin following him down. It was strange, Red realized that this, running through one of the city's top research facilities like it was a jungle gym, was fun. Refreshing.

It kept his mind off of other things, not that he needed to tell bird boy behind him that there little violent chase scene felt more like playing to him. Maybe he should talk with his mentor about his whirlwind, borderline homicidal emotions later. But after he was done messing with Robin and avoiding Danny. No, that's not right, avoid Danny then mess with Robin. He was so busy thinking he nearly missed the big vault doors blocking his exit. He nearly threw himself into the wall as he moved to lean back against it, managing to cloak himself right as Robin rounded the corner, looking around in bafflement.

The four other Titans who landed in the building decided to split up in search of their way to serious leader and find Red X. Whoever they came across first they'd deal with. Personally, Raven hoped she would find X first and get revenge for having to smell Beastboy's rhino butt. When a shadow moved across the doorway, Raven followed it in, then a flash of red, and suddenly she was slammed up against the wall, red polymer cocooning her till Raven only saw black. Beastboy was sniffing the ground, searching for a trail when a red leash looped around his neck and electricity zapped him. Starfire was walking down a hall when she heard a heavy thump, whirling around she gasped at the strange sight, her fists lighting in green.

"Who are you?"

When Danny heard her scream he immediately knew more was going on then Red X attacking them. This wasn't his style, he preferred frontal assaults not guerilla warfare. It was then Danny saw one of Professor Chang's men in the glass reflection of the mirror. Looks like Robin's criminal informant wanted to cash in on this heist. Just as the goon was preparing to get the drop on him, he twisted in the air, the Xenothium axe slamming into the ground.

"Whoa, dude, I don't need to be cut into anymore halves!"

Danny felt his power glow, the ecto-blasts in his fists coldly burning when every one of his muscles seemed to freeze in place. As if suspended, the feeling was not unfamiliar.

"What the…oh, crap." And with this Danny got hit with a Xenothium taser and blacked out.

* * *

><p>When Red heard Starfire scream, he tried to ignore the way it made his stomach curl nervously. After all, she would be okay right? He dropped the invisibility when Robin turned around about to hunt her down till he seemed to remember why he was even here. <em>Always about the mission, <em>Red thought. Which if he were being honest, was something he was trying to run away from right now. He didn't want to think about the bigger picture at the moment.

"What's the matter, kid, don't you want to play? After all, they're your toys." With this he destroyed the computer consol, the vault doors opened and he had Robin's undivided attention once more. Which now that he thought about it, made him sound really attention deprived as he economically leapt through the laser fields. Robin flipping after him. But hey, he's been dead and cooped up for who knows how long, he's bored. Sue him.

As Robin dropped down the massive chamber, he couldn't but wonder why this felt almost, playful. Only pissing him off more, because Cyborg was missing, Starfire had screamed and that probably meant the rest of his team was in trouble. Also he didn't appreciate nearly becoming a pancake from the force field at the bottom, barely managing to slip through the tear Red X had created by bending his spine in a way that to the average person probably seemed painful. X merely chuckled and darted down the hallway, leaving Robin wanting to drop kick him all the way to Star City. He skidded to a stop when he came to a room, the ground lower, inlaid with a grid pattern, Red X nowhere to be seen.

"After you." The electronically disguised voice said from behind before a strong hand pushed him out onto the field. The square he was standing on turned bright red, and Robin looked up to see a giant laser targeting him. Oh yeah, Lex Luthor had way to much free time. Robin thought as he dodged the energy beam, racing across the floor to get to the other side. He was almost to the open doors when Red X dropped down in front of him. Robin swore he could hear the smirk in the teen's voice.

"Thanks for the hand, kid." And the doors promptly shut in his face. Robin let out a growl, rebounding off the wall to gain air and fire his zip line, shooting him up to the machine. And as he was cutting it down and re-wiring it, he couldn't help but think that Red knew he wasn't going to die. Like he expected it, pushing that annoying thought away he aimed the gun at the steel concrete and cut a giant hole through the metal in time to see Red X grabbing a case of Xenothium ore. With a spin he had enough power to kick the slightly broader teen into the wall.

"Kid, you are taking life way to seriously."

With this they both charged at each other. Both starting with long range weapons, getting closer, till Robin pulled out his bo-staff and Red enlarged the X's on the top of his hands until they were sharper than knives. Both dodging and attacking in a strange dance as if one could predict the others moves.

"Why did you steal the suit? What are you planning to do?" Robin snarled his staff holding the blades at bay.

"Whatever I want." And X dropped down kicking up as he flipped Robin up and over him the teen doing two flips to right himself. An X felt it was time to clear the air, a little.

"Not everyone likes to play the big villain kid. I'm a thief. I'm not threatening your precious city, just looking out for number one."

"So you're not psychotic, you're just selfish," Robin seethed, choosing to analyze the undertones of Red X's speech later. Noting how he put the blades away and raised his palms.

"Lighten up, chuckles, I'm not such a bad guy once you get to know me." With this he fired two blades, catching Robin off guard enough for him to grab the case and make it to the door as Robin prepared to throw a yellow and red batarang. Red froze and hit the center of his belt, "Play times over kid, back off or I trip the power core and the core triggers the rocks, I don't think you want what happens next on your conscious."

Robin lowered his weapon but not his stance and glared. "And I don't think you want to be disintegrated," he answered before shadows behind Red X moved and the other teen turned in time to see a goon all dressed in a giant white hazmat suit zap him with a Xenothium taser. Robin moved but soon he too was hit, red seared his senses and dazedly he watched as the men gathered up cases of the ore.

"The Xenothium!" He tried to move but his legs were numb and it looked like Red X was unconscious. When one of the men placed a portable TV screen in front of him, Professor Chang smirking up at him, Robin felt his insides freeze.

"Yes, and I do so appreciate it. Since you two were doing the break in, I decided to cash in. I'm sick of selling to bad boys; I'm ready to be one," he stated with a dramatic flair.

"And now that I have enough Xenothium to power my disintegrator canon I can be very, very, bad," he hummed before flicking his spidery hands to the side and the camera zoomed in on the weapon located under the tarp in the old abandoned observatory.

"I won't let you get away with this."

Chang came back on screen his narrow face sneering, "Oh, I think you will because my good little boy, I didn't just steal the ore, I stole your friends."

And Robin gasped as he looked at his six friends frozen in holding tubes.

"Stay out of this or I'll test my canon on them," he warned before the screen cut out.

* * *

><p>When X came to, it was to the inside of a holding cell in the buildings vault, Robin on the other side, glaring at him. Which with the massive headache he had, so not what he wanted to see right now.<p>

"Uh, who were the moon men?" he quipped, pointedly ignoring the voice in his head singing 'I told you so' for not listening to his mentor's advice of, 'stay on the path or you won't like the results.'

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Criminals. Just like you," he stated and Red nearly laughed at how messed up his life was.

"C'mon kid, you don't really think the world is that black and white, this suit proves that. And do you really think this little playpen can hold me?"

Robin pressed something on the consol with his black gloves and Red jerked his hands away from the bars, electricity sparking through them.

"You don't even care, do you? A low-life maniac just got his hands on enough Xenothium to disintegrate the entire city, and it's your fault."

"Don't you mean 'our' fault?"

"At least I'm going to do something about it!" Robin snapped, and Red had to force himself not to flinch at how loud it sounded. And damn, even now, the goldy still had the guilt trip down to the 'T'. But what the Titan said next was a low blow and both teens knew it.

"And if you cared about anything other than yourself, you'd be helping!"

"Sorry kid, some guys don't like to play the hero."

"I'll be back to take you jail," Robin's answer was devoid of emotion which Red knew was his way of preventing himself from completely losing it. With that the teen behind the villain's mask felt the game of tag end. Painfully reminding him why he was here and what it meant to follow the mission burning in him to go and help. Guess he could never escape it. Not to mention the Titans were never supposed to be captured because Danny Phantom had stopped the goons while Robin took down Chang. And Red had changed that, to this he let out a growl, hating how one small ripple in the pond changed everything. How him being here changed everything. Because Robin focused on the thief and not the maniac. It also meant that his mentor was meddling…again. And Red X really hated playing among his mind games.

"Alright, I'll go, you big jerk."

The consol holding him sparked and died and he was free, Red sighed and took to the sky, his belt almost empty.

"I could have gotten out myself, though," he snarked.

By the time he made it to the observatory Red felt his heart stop mid beat as Robin clung to the broken railing on the upper levels, the canon trained on Starfire, who was struggling in her frozen bonds, her head the only thing free. She screamed, and Red let loose some shuriken destroying Chang's main panel, but he hardly noticed as he leapt in the air, grabbing Robin before he fell, slamming them onto the other railing.

"I thought you didn't like to play the hero?" Robin said smirking, obviously enjoying Red's temporary hero status.

"Doesn't mean I don't know how."

Both leapt to into the fray of the guards, charging them. Robin turned and landed on the canon going after Chang while Red leapt to the ground level and hit the defrost button on Danny's chamber.

"You so owe me for this."

Red quickly moved, releasing all the switches before jumping up onto the canon platform.

"Time to get what I came for."

"Time's up," Raven answered, all the Titans stood in front of him. Right, they were all goody too shoes.

"Thanks for the help Red X but don't think that means you can help yourself," Robin snapped whipping out a wicked sharp disk. Red took his stance near the destroyed side of the observatory and grinned, the smell and crash of sea water filling his senses.

"No problem, kid. This should keep me going for a good long while."

Robin smirked, "I don't think so."

Red barely had time to dodge when Danny suddenly teleported behind him, he slammed the Xenothium into the ground watching as Danny and Raven threw up shields while he jumped off the edge, pulling out a second tube. He might be a thief but he was a great thief. It took a second to charge the belt and he hit the teleport button seconds away from crashing onto the shore rocks of the ocean.

* * *

><p>There were certain things Danny really hated: Vlad Masters, Dragon's horrible breath (except for Dora) and stealing. Because getting into Mount Justice, even if it wasn't they're main base of operations anymore was harder than getting into Fort Knox. Not to mention having to dodge a few heroes. His only blessing was that it was the Flash's turn for monitor duty and he promptly disappeared to go bug John Stewart when the Lantern showed up, or possibly to go search for food. Working quickly, he plugged in the USB drive, downloading the files before 'reactivating' the Leagues protection scanner, he was about to make his escape when a dark green boot slammed into his side. Danny rolled with it and came up to see one fiercely glaring Robin looking down at him. Crap. Robin's little brother.<p>

"I'm only going to say this once; you've made a big mistake."

And for a twelve year old the kid could kick. Danny danced to the side, grabbing Robin's arm, pressing down on the nerve cluster in his elbow. The kid gave a grunt before Danny felt a weight on his thigh and the kid vaulted up, preparing to slam down on him. And he really didn't want to go on the offensive but if the kid landed a good hit with his strength, Danny would stay down. Twisting Danny brought his leg up and around the kids mid section, turned and slammed them both into the concrete, pinning Robin, he pulled the Gale half from her sheath and held it close to the kid's throat. The younger Robin didn't so much as flinch.

"Stay down," he hissed.

And Danny had never been so grateful that Robins were trained by Batman because they're entire fight had been done in near silence. So no heroes in the building were any wiser. Downside, it also meant that this miniature Robin had been trained by Batman.

"Make me," the younger Robin sneered and two batarangs were in the kids hands now and Danny had to jolt backwards to prevent getting skewered.

Both standing now, Danny fully drew his sword.

"You won't win, _kid_," he advised, silently begging the older Robin to forgive him for attacking his younger brother. When the red and green Robin grinned a Cheshire Cat grin.

"Oh I know. I'm just holding you here till back up arrives."

God damnit, this kid was as manipulative as the red and black Robin.

Danny almost didn't avoid the nerve strike to the back of his neck that would have incapacitated him instantly. He flipped away as Batman alighted himself with his Robin and Danny felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach. One he could handle. But taking on the Dynamic Duo? It was going to make him sweat, make him bleed.

"Whoa, kid. Looks like you've gotten yourself into quite a pinch."

All three jolted, looking up to see Red X perched high up in the rafters. Batman narrowing his eyes, one getting in was plausible but two? Past unacceptable. Danny instantly knew from how smug the guy sounded that that wasn't his Robin under the suit. But if it got him out of here. Time to lie.

"You're late, had to start without you."

Red X laughed and the duo charged, X throwing down exploding disks drawing the younger Robin's attention as he leapt up into the rafters after the teen as Danny took on Batman. Or you know, run away from Batman. Using the flat part of his blade, Danny managed to redirect himself up and over the Dark Knight (kind of like using the man as a jungle gym) into the rafters, which would have been completely _awesome_, if it didn't look like the Bat wanted to use his face for batting practice. Soon he was by X's side dodging batarangs and smoke bombs. Red X gave a laugh as he dodged a bright red birdarang, "I think it's time to go, kiddo."

"I'm the same age as you!" Danny nearly lost his footing as one sharp weapon whizzed past his right cheek. And with one real laugh, X grabbed Danny's forearm and all Danny could think about was how Harry Potter described apparition and not being able to breathe. When quickly as it came, it stopped and Danny was looking at Mount Justice on the opposite side of the harbor. Before he turned to look at the thief, who seemed to have lost his humor and was staring at the sunrise as if expecting it to reveal all the secrets of the universe.

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," the teen answered and something about the way X moved reminded him of someone but it fled Danny's mind when he blinked and X was gone. The morning light making the ocean waves sparkle.

"Where?"

Hastily, Danny looked around only to see a lone white dove taking flight.

Danny made it back to Jump City in record time, momentarily stopping at the Bookstore, handing over the drive to Fixit, selling him the information as well as getting the altered copy back.

"I'll be sure to sell these secrets to the right people."

To this Danny gave a small bow and took off. Seeing Vlad's astounded face when he returned not only ahead of schedule, but with the drive no less, priceless. He would have laughed if it wouldn't have blown his cover. As such, he settled for standing behind a beaming Blood while Vlad skimmed through the files.

"So do we have a deal?"

Vlad looked up and gave a vicious smirk, "Let's get down to business."

With his task complete, Danny left, desperately wanting a shower and to take off his empathic device and rejoin with his ghost half. Because dammit it, standing in front of Vlad without his abilities was beyond nerve wracking, plus Batman nearly scared him into an early grave. Not that he would ever admit that to his spiky haired friend…_ever_.

* * *

><p>The portal opened in the middle of the hallway and Red X landed gracefully onto the tiles. It was an absolute silence, the kind Jason Todd could appreciate because finally, it felt like he could breathe again. Pulling off the mask, he made his way through the castle not even his footsteps echoing, the endless clocks, which were supposed to be turning, were all oppressively still. To a normal person, this silence would have been maddening. But for the fifteen-year old, Jason was grateful.<p>

Because this place was the closest thing that reminded him of the silence when being dead; the irony that this was a place for life was not lost on him. Making his way to the viewing room, Jason saw his mentor standing in front of the viewing clock, long black cloak swaying soundlessly across the floor, staff resting in one hand as the teen plopped himself down on a chair.

"You surprised me. I thought, and this is a direct quote, 'that you would kick the ever living crap out of Dick and proceed to laugh maniacally over his pain.' End quote."

Jason could hear underlying mirth in the smooth baritone voice, so he figured he was off the hook for causing the Master of Time so much trouble. He plastered on his best Cheshire Cat's grin and brushed the lone strand of white bangs in a sea of black out of his eyes.

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

At this the Time Master snorted and turned to look at him, the cloak nearly concealing the black rapture moving down his neck.

"Are you alright, Jason?"

Jason froze. No. He was far from it. The anger was still there, burning in his stomach making it ache, and everything outside of this castle was still so _loud_. But for some brief moments, he got to be the annoying, chaos causing kid he once was so maybe…

"Can I get back to you on that?"

His mentor smiled a lopsided grin and his eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Want to watch Danny realize that the Red X who saved him was the one who the Titans just spent the entire night embarrassingly chasing?"

Jason did a hand spring in excitement and went to go stand in front of the portal a smile on his face. The clocks slowly starting to move.

"You're still not keeping that suit," Pendulum said after a moment, reading Jason's future question.

"Damn."

* * *

><p>AN: Please Read, Enjoy and Review<p>

And yep, it was a future Jason Todd. Don't freak out, I'm setting it up so I can write the squeal once I finish this story because yes, I'm awesome and already have the sequel planned out.

Question:the reason it's getting easier for Danny to teleport is because he's getting used to the power. Kind of how it became easier for him to use his shield, it comes with practice and use.

Requests: I have the entire outline for season three mapped out but I do have room for any ideas concerning the episode Haunt. So drop me reviews or messages with what you want to happen both in the real world and in Robin's mind, concerning memories, reactions to his friends, etc.

Lastly: Keep the show Young Justice on the air! To sign the petition to try and keep it going, just visit my profile and follow the link!

Thank you everyone who was ever read, favored, followed, or reviewed my work! You guys are awesome.

~Rin

Next Chapter: My Big Tamaranean Wedding


	39. Chapter 31: My Big Tamaranean Wedding

"_I'm sorry you won't fit inside my heart,_

_I want to love without the build up."_

_~Kimbra_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 31: My Big Tamaranean Wedding?

Danny hummed quietly as he walked down the Titans hallway. The ever presence of his ghost core a solid weight inside him, a comfort along with each beat of his heart. It felt wonderful to be whole again. Turning the corner, he nearly ran headlong into a mountain of precariously stacked purple clothes being carried by Starfire.

"Um…Star?" He asked moving aside while peeking into her stripped down room.

"Hmmm?" She acknowledged, however not stopping as she took another round of clothes and bags out into the hallway while Beastboy joined them.

"Going somewhere?" The changeling asked, Robin and Cyborg wandering up, both equally confused.

"I am leaving for Tamaran." Star calmly answered, Raven rounding the corner, watching in puzzlement.

"And you're taking all your stuff, because…?"

For a moment Starfire frowned before giving a breathtaking smile.

"Because I am not ever coming back."

"_WHAT?" _

"Starfire, what's wrong?" Robin managed to choke out through the shock and the horror of; _I'll never get to see her again,_ racing in him.

"Nothing is wrong," she hastily added, still smiling though it now appeared strained, "I am, getting married."

"_WHAT?!"_ They all screamed again, and Danny felt like the floor was disappearing beneath his feet, when he noticed Robin listing dangerously to one side and he and Cy were forced to steady their friend, keeping him from collapsing. Suddenly, today didn't feel so great.

As the team traveled faster than light, heading towards Starfire's home planet, to say the ship was tense was an understatement. And the closer they got, the greater Danny could feel Robin's incredulity grow. Until finally, his friend came over the com. and the other four Titans tried to pretend they couldn't hear the awkward, heart wrenching pain coming from their leader, along with Starfire's painful, almost borderline illegal, cheerfulness.

"You're getting _married_?" Robin emphasized as if it were a criminal act.

"Indeed. And I cannot wait to see Tamaran. I have been getting a bit of the sick home feeling, and am eager to introduce my home planet to you, my friends."

Danny noted that Star entirely glossed over Robin's question. Choosing instead to relay tales of her world, of what they should try food wise, to seeing the giant Portkins, which were apparently very big…as big as a Flornop, whatever the heck that was.

"Um, am I the only one afraid of the Portkins?" Beastboy cut in leaving Danny to wonder, how many things on Starfire's planet could kill them?

"You're getting married?" Robin snapped again, as if saying it once more would cement it as truth. All the while sounding like a petulant child, Danny figured telling his friend this would end up with his side of the ship being ejected and sent careening towards a black hole, so he held his tongue. Thankfully, Raven stepped in, her monotone voice slightly rough with skepticism.

"Yeah, uh, anyone we know?"

"Oh, I have never met him. My betrothed has been chosen for me by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran." Starfire replied in nervous excitement.

When Robin's voice cut through the speakers, it sounded as if every ounce of air had been pulled from his lungs, Danny ached with sympathy.

"You're getting married, _and_, to someone you've never met?!"

"Of course, Robin, it is the way of my people."

Danny, having been too caught up in the realization that this was actually happening— that Starfire was leaving— noticed too late that his screen was flashing red, before the ship was hit by enemy fire.

Everyone was jolted forward, watching as ten green ships, distinctly scarab in design, fly over them, firing, once more jarring everyone in their seats.

"I don't suppose this is some kind of crazy Tamaranean welcoming committee?" Cy yelled as Starfire told them 'no' while Robin brought the ship about, readying for another wave.

"Titans, separate!" He ordered.

Soon everything became a blur of energy weapons, fast maneuvering, and blinding light through space, as Danny fought off two ships all the while hearing Robin calmly relaying orders, and the others cutting in to warn another member of attacks in the dead of space.

"I am beginning to suspect that separation was not such a good idea." Starfire called, her ship spiraling up, cutting sharply to the right, resulting in the ship chasing her to explode into an asteroid.

"Starfire's right, Titans, regroup."

At Robin's order, Danny cut his wheel, spiraling around, heading towards his friends while noticing that the ships following him had trouble banking, the rest of the T-ship was almost upon him when Robin gave the order: Danny hit the thrust reversal, making the engine scream as it suddenly pulled up short of slamming into Raven's in deceleration, before throttling up along with the rest of the Titans, and soon all six of them were rocketing up and the scarab ships collided together unable to adjust their course. They went up in flames with Beastboy whopping into the mic. set, as Cyborg punched in the codes reconnecting the ship.

"Who we're they?" Robin wondered as Beastboy asked where they were, it was then Danny finally focused on what planet was outside his window, the long streaks of red clouds looking painted across the atmosphere of the misty purple world as if done by a calligrapher's brush. The sight was breathtaking.

"The planet Tamaran, my home."

Yet like all things, as they descended, the planet became sweeping deserts of mixed purples and blues, with jagged rocks and little vegetation, while still otherworldly, it quickly became ordinary, except Starfire was practically gushing praises in the comm.

"Oh, is it not the most beautiful place your eyes have ever observed?"

"Uh….sure?" Raven said as they passed another rock formation which looked exactly like all the other rock formations. Danny had to slap one white gloved hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Still, stopping at a city built up and into the sides of a mountain was impressive, and altogether terrifying. Especially when Cyborg landed the T-Ship onto a balcony that could easily hold all of Star City and then some. As they walked to the giant, stone carved gate, with Starfire ahead, her feet almost bouncing in anticipation, Danny desperately tried to shove the growing panic in his gut away and altogether ignore the aura of gloom radiating from Robin. When, with a heavy clang, the gate drew up, and a dozen guards and one man, who resembled more of a giant, strode out, a thunderous scowl etched on his face. Starfire's eyes bled electric green and starbolts gathered in her fists as she boldly or foolishly flew at the man, stopping short of brushing noses with the other Tamaranean as she yelled. It was in a language low and harsh, yet rolled off someone as sweet and pure as Starfire with ease. Danny still floated off the ground, ectoblasts burning in his fists as Robin prepared to order the Titans to fight, his voice barely carrying over the roar of the giant Tamaranean man who lunged at Starfire with arms the size of two small SUVs and fists that could break buildings, Starfire screamed before she broke out in pearls of laughter, the man mercilessly tickling her.

To say the Titans were dumbstruck would be a lie.

"Uh, unless they tickle people to death here, I think we've been had." Cy stated while rubbing the back of his head to ease the growing tension.

Smiling, Starfire strode over to her friends, all the while holding onto a hand that dwarfed her shoulder from where it rested, "Friends, I wish you to meet my K'norfka, Galfor. He raised me from the time I was very small."

So in essence Danny realized this mountain of a man was essentially…

"Your Nanny!" Beastboy howled, causing all the Titans to side step him completely as Galfor suddenly towered over the changeling, his one good eye menacing.

"You find that amusing, Little One?!"

"Ah…"

"Nice to meet you." Robin interrupted, bowing to Galfor who brought his fist to chest in a warriors greeting.

"X'hal, I see you have met our new enemy."

Danny tried not to wince as he heard one of the engines in the T-Ship hit the ground.

"Then you know who attacked us?" Robin noted, moving to stand by Galfor, as the man motioned to the edge of the balcony, down below to the thousands of scarab ships resting on the desert sand ominously below, so still and silent it made a shiver race up the halfa's spine. Something…didn't feel right. At Galfor's growling voice Danny turned away from the sight, the strange feelings leaving him as he watched the man's fists clench at his sides, hopeless frustration pulling taught those broad shoulders.

"They are the great Drenthax army: they threaten to overthrow our planet, our way of life, and if I were Grand Ruler I would…" Galfor had to stop right there, his rough voice halting as a deep sigh overcame him and he wearily met Starfire's eyes, "well, I am not. Let's just say much has changed since you departed." Sorrowful eyes met hers, pain Starfire openly returned.

"I have missed you, Galfor."

Taking her chin in one hand, the old man smiled before bowing on one knee, "and I have missed you, Princess Starfire."

With this the rest of the guards went down and the Teen Titans were thrown through the ringer once again. Leaving them standing along with Starfire, who slowly blushed a crimson red.

"_Princess?!"_

"Oh, yes, I am second in line to the throne, perhaps I failed to mention it?" She said laughing nervously, before literally dragging the royal guard and Galfor through the massive doors, abandoning the five startled teens and one upset leader.

"Did you know about this?" Cyborg asked in bewilderment, directing it to Robin whose scowl now looked permanently etched on, Danny noticed grimly.

"Just go."

* * *

><p>The castle was a towering place, with sweeping pillars and flowing carpets, strange animals that resembled pit bulls: only with enlarged fangs, blood red eyes, and around the size of a bulldozer, were chained incrementally along the walls. Silently watching until Beastboy got a little too close to one and smiled.<p>

"Alien animals, cool!"

Danny couldn't fault the creature when it tried to take a bite out of the changeling and Raven punched BB in the arm, "you're the alien here." She reminded him giving such a stern look, Beastboy's ears drooped.

It was during this time Robin had made his way through the men guarding Starfire and placed a hand upon her shoulder, a normal gesture, one all of them had done at some point or another, and hardly worth noting… until Danny heard Galfor give a mighty roar and suddenly he was between the Titan and the Princess, along with the guards, who now aimed the pointy ends of their spears at the startled leader.

At first, Danny thought it must have been something his friend had spoken, the wedding no doubt, but at Galfor's answer the halfa felt all his ectoplasm freeze over in the most unpleasant way.

"It is forbidden for offworlders to touch the Princess."

No touching…as in, no bone crushing goodbye hugs in order to prevent oneself from bawling their eyes out when they had to leave Starfire behind? What kind of messed up place was this? Danny wanted to howl, but what was worse, was seeing Starfire calmly ask Galfor not to harm them, then simply turn and float way. As if only commonly interested in the proceedings, or their wellbeing. What happed to the girl who'd freak out when Danny so much got a bruise, or when Beastboy got gum in his hair for the millionth time? And from the looks of it, Robin was wondering the exact same thing, his mask hiding nothing, showing all the pain coursing through his soul. At that moment, Danny wanted nothing more than to grab Starfire and rip a portal open into the Ghost Zone…now if only he could do that.

"I'm not touching her!" Beastboy called, carefully placing his hands behind his back. It was a thoughtful gesture, tactless in execution, but nonetheless appreciated in an attempt to lighten the already bleak mood.

A feast had been prepared long in advance. The Tamaranean people sparing nothing short of the finest trappings and dishware. The table was lavished in gold and rich silk purple, and the goblets were fit for the easy use for Frostbites snow yetis, and a Tamaranean's strength. Too bad none of the Titans could lift up even one of the stinking cups. Danny gave up when he couldn't even lift it with Telekinesis, and Cyborg stopped when a bracket from his arm nearly popped off and landed in the halfas cup next to him. Thankfully, their hosts were kind enough not to embarrass the Titans by pointing it out. Instead focusing on their returning Princess.

"A toast to our beautiful Princess, and her new husband."

Starfire smiled briefly, a controlled elegant thing, before she easily picked up the bronze and gold goblet and held it above her head.

"And to my good friends, I am jubilant you all could be here to celebrate my wedding."

Danny gave up and simply cheered with the rest of the people, before turning to look at Robin on his other side, who only had eyes for one person at the moment.

"We're really going to miss you."

Danny found himself growling. That was all he was going to say? To say Robin was a complete lovebird to Starfire's song, was like saying the sun was kind of bright, and that that cliché he just now used was still, well…not a cliché! In response to his frustration, Danny suddenly felt a small pop resound in the back of his head, and Cyborg let out a yelp as his chair was dragged forward, winding him against the table.

"Yo man, what the hell?" He snapped, knowing exactly who the culprit was, glaring at Danny with his two mismatched eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that!"

"Danny, so help me, the day you stop getting powers I'll laugh and call you a liar while tying you to my rocket and launching you from my shoe."

"Um…okay first, that wasn't a new power, and second, you have a rocket in your shoe?"

Before Cy could respond the waiters deposited their food and the only thing that ran through any of the Teen Titans minds was, '_this is food?_' The inedible dishes Starfire had made for them back home paled in comparison to this…it was…Danny found himself turning a new shade of green as something black and oozy, slithered in the bowl in front of him and smelled distinctly worse than Tucker's horrid cologne.

Starfire and the other Tamaranean's looked positively _ravenous_. And that was before Galfor put an _axe_ through the table, destroying the dishes, and everyone literally getting on the table, and eating with only their hands and teeth.

"That's it; I'm going on a water diet." Danny groaned, scooting back as far as he could go in his chair and hid behind Robin's spiky hair.

"Um…I guess you learned your table manners from Earth?" Robin noted.

"Hurry or you will not get any!"

Robin took to trying to hide behind Danny, which resulted in them both cowering under the table.

"Hello, vegetarian in the house!" Beastboy hollered an edge of hysteria in his voice before thrusting something, purplish black and squishy, that resembled an over bloated bacteria, in Cyborg's face. "Does this look like a veggie to you?"

"I have no idea man." Then Cy ate it, and Beastboy promptly declared 'he wasn't hungry', and joined Robin and Danny under the table. None of them had any idea where Raven ran off to, till the sound of screeching bag pipes, so loud, bellowing like trumpets, rang throughout the hall, she reappeared from the column she'd hidden in. Danny wanted nothing more than to blast his ears off, along with the rest of the team. Seeming to realize this, Star turned to them with an apologetic blush staining her cheeks, "Um…it is music?" She tried, before blessedly it stopped, the table was cleared away, the court people all kneeled, along with the guards, and the doors at the end of the hall opened and the Grand Ruler stepped up onto the stone dais.

"All hail the Grand Ruler of Tamaran, the Empress!"

Starfire gasped and that was when Danny looked up and felt his jaw hit the floor.

"_Blackfire?"_

"Surprised to see me, little sister?" the Queen sneered, her eyes glistening with malicious delight, the silver crown that framed her face sparkled gloriously in the light, along with the long robe across her shoulders, trailing down her back, and settling along the floor. It was a pale silver that complemented her black hair and silver armor. It did nothing to ease the Teen Titans minds.

"I am, surprised to see you out of prison." Star snapped, standing up to her full height, eyes bleeding electric green.

Charged violet met them, "Oh, _that_. Well after you had me thrown in jail I got board, so I broke out and took over Tamaran for kicks. But enough about me…"

Danny had to snort at that, from what he remembered, there was nothing more Blackfire enjoyed than talking about herself.

"I'm sure you're eager to see who you'll be spending the rest of your life with."

To this a red curtain parted, revealing, a scantily clad man: with flowing red hair, and broad chested, so handsome even Danny blushed, simultaneously feeling a blow being issued to his self-esteem, along with Cyborg and Beastboy. Robin looked on the verge of protesting, or bursting an important blood vessel. Especially since Starfire and virtually every female in the room had drool gathering at the corners of parted lips. The man then flew to the side, and something, big, green and slimy, and had multiple suckers, dropped down and gurgled something that resembled a language, all the while spewing saliva onto the floor which the really hot man promptly wiped away.

"Starfire meet your groom, Glgrdsklechh."

Blackfire was practically beaming in joy, Starfire was in tears, Robin was about to burst in flames, and Danny, Raven, Cyborg and Beastboy, were again struck speechless.

"Well…he's cute."

"Could you say that with more inflection Rae? I don't think we heard that?" Danny hissed.

The silence that then descended was mixed between disbelief and disgust as Starfire kept looking to her sister, then gazing over to the Skluredge, without trying to appear disrespectful. So far she wasn't pulling it off.

"My, groom? But he is…I cannot…"

"You can, and you will. You see sister dear, this darling creature is the exalted Skluredge to the swamp moons of Drenthax-Four. And since his invasion army is parked outside our castle, I arranged your marriage to save our beloved Tamaran from annihilation. If your groom can't kiss his bride, we can all kiss Tamaran goodbye."

Blackfire's words sunk like stones in Danny's heart. And from the way Galfor's fists tightened, her words were a cruel reminder, although the halfa wasn't sure if it was due to the state of things, or how it would go about being resolved.

The Skluredge almost eagerly puttered over to float by Starfire's side not seeing the way she cringed.

"I am sure we will be quite…happy together."

At this the Skluredge replied, more like burped, and Blackfire smirked.

"He says he can't wait to take you to his swamp planet, far, far, away. And now for more joyous news, after reviewing the candidates for marriage to seal my place on the throne, I have officially decided on my betrothed."

To this an undercurrent of anticipation ran through the crowd, while the Tamaranean people did not like Blackfire, they weren't against her being ruler. Either that, or Starfire's people simply enjoyed living in the moment. Danny figured it was the latter, as they all eagerly gazed up to the Empress.

Blackfire took the time to pause for effect, her eyes roaming over the entire crowd, hungrily taking them in, and Danny felt Cy lean down, "Man, I'd hate to be that poor sucker." He whispered and Danny couldn't help but agree.

" The warrior I have chosen is one of immense strength. Whose ties will bind us to the galaxy, and make it known throughout the universe that Tamaran will never again be one to be trifled with…" as her booming voice filled the throne room, a sense of foreboding came over Danny, "a warrior so strong, the Justice League even fear him. Behold! My Chosen will be none other than _Danny Phantom_, of the planet Earth!"

"_What?!" _

Danny felt no relief at the fact that he wasn't the only one who screamed. In fact, it seemed everyone of the Titans did. The world strangely seemed to tilt then, taking on a surreal feature. This couldn't be happening, could it? He wasn't about to be sold into another peoples' customs, was he? It was then he remembered their destroyed ship right outside, if he refused, could they fight off an entire armada of Tamaranean's? The feeling of entrapment then gripped his heart, would they live if they fought? What would happen if one of his friends died, simply for this reason, and oh god, in that moment, Danny suddenly took back ever being mad at Starfire for understanding her duty to her people. Even though at the moment, her eyes were blazing green and her fists burned with the power of her starbolts.

"Sister, you cannot be serious, Phantom is not one of us."

"No. In order to preserve our way of life, you will marry the Skluredge, and in order to prosper, I will marry Phantom."

At this Robin stepped forward, an anger beyond words seeping through the very pores of his skin, permeating the air.

"And I'll say this to you, in accordance to the Galactic Laws of Earth, agreed upon by the Intergalactic Laws upheld by the Green Lantern Corps, states: No living, sentient being can be, under any form of coercion, forced into a binding arrangement against their will."

Blackfire smiled in triumph, "Then I guess it's a good thing Phantom isn't alive, and need I remind you, _Robin_, that that law goes on and distinctly excludes any alien residing on your planet as well as any being born with meta DNA. Even if Phantom were alive, the governing laws set down by your planet still exclude him. Therefore, by legal rights, _he has no say_."

Danny felt like he'd been slapped in the face, punched in the gut, and forced to cat sit for Vlad all at once, and that was still too nice a punishment. But to watch as Robin prepared to defend him once more, to potentially start a fight they couldn't win, cause an intergalactic scene, all to stop Starfire's bitch of a sister from getting what she wanted… no. This battle was lost. They needed to play with a different stack of cards.

"I accept your proposal."

"_What?!" _

To this, every Titan whirled around to face him, and Danny couldn't help the strangest sense of déjà vu wash over him, only this time of the decidedly worse kind. Starfire was the only one who hadn't yelled and now watched him intently. Somehow that made it so much worse, and he couldn't meet her eyes as he came to stand beside her.

"We celebrate our weddings at Moonset, tonight!"

With this all the people cheered and Danny felt his heart wither inside.

"Take the Princess to her quarters to prepare. Phantom, I will lead you to our chambers."

The guards led Starfire away as Danny ascended the steps, watching as Blackfire leaned over to the head of her warriors whispering, "keep an eye on their friends." before motioning for him to follow. Ignoring the shiver that ran up his spine, along with the strong desire to punch something (or someone…Blackfire) in the face, Danny followed.

She led him through twisting chambers and up stone staircases, lined with refined metal work so thin and flexible, it seemed fragile but held such strength that the thick tapestries, flowing over the designs could blow in the wind without worry, or care of falling. As they drew closer to the inner most part of the castle, Danny began to notice less and less guards, and watched the tension leak out from Blackfire's broad shoulders that were strange for a woman with her frame. It reminded him almost of Wonder Woman with her Amazonian strength and beauty. Terrifying in elegance.

They stopped at the last set of double doors, with two polished doorknobs larger than his head, before Blackfire pushed them open and they stepped into the main bedroom.

"Welcome home, Phantom, I call the right side." Blackfire almost sang as she flew in, pulling off her robe, tossing the crown with little regard onto the beautiful bed.

"How about I sleep on the couch." He snapped automatically, taking in the circular room with awe, and the couch sitting a few feet in front of the bed with more twisting metalwork that reminded him of the intricate details that hid inside frozen snowflakes. Blackfire let out an almost girlish giggle and started removing her boots.

"Oh please, don't be chivalrous, we'll be wed by dawn tomorrow, so why wait? If it'll take the edge off, I could do a self-portrait of you since you're so bent on 'sleeping on the couch'." To this her dark eyes sparkled in a perverted leer, and she looked suggestively at the long sprawling piece and furniture in a way that made Danny's brain short circuit, while simultaneously causing his skin to do the creepy crawl sensations of repulsion.

"Oh, no way. You are _not_ drawing me like one of your French girls! And I can't believe you just made a _Titanic_ reference, and for the love of…are you calling me feminine!" He snapped before crossing his arms over his chest, the lights, which gave off a greenish glow, cast long shadows over muscle and danced across pale skin as if he were a mythical beast.

It reminded Blackfire of a caged _Si'npa,_ a now extinct winged bird some might equate to an angel on Earth, it was a breath stealing sight, "Well, you are wearing some pretty tight clothes that highlights your ass."

"Superman wears tight clothes that shine brighter than a flamingo, and instead you say I'm the more feminine one?"

"He also has a cape, and his uniform isn't that bright."

"Fine, the Green Lanterns."

"Men in uniform don't count."

"The Flash." Danny added, trying to hide his growing desperation, while controlling the anger boiling under his skin. Finding satisfaction in the way his continued difference of opinion kept rattling Blackfire making her eyes flash in annoyance.

"He's annoying and talkative, like my sister, he would be a woman in another life."

"That doesn't make him feminine, only that he has something in common with your sister. And on that note, that would mean you'd be a man! Your shoulders are wide enough for it." Danny added watching as Blackfire flushed dark red in offence to his offhanded comment.

Her eyes bled electric purple, "Well, _your_ hair is whiter than an _old man's_."

"You scowl like an _old hag_."

"At least I don't look like a wannabe _panda bear_."

"Panda bears are cute and lovable, which is better than I can say for you, you over armored, freak! I mean, compared to the rest of your people Blackfire, you're a downright _prude_."

At that Blackfire gave a roar, and in the next moment Danny was sailing through the glass before he was spinning, twisting in such a way that he came back around faster than Blackfire anticipated and slammed one leg into her unguarded stomach, sending her sailing into the tall bed frame with a loud _klang,_ before falling onto the dark silken covers in a sprawl of limbs and tangled sheets.

When she didn't get back up immediately with starbolts in hand, Danny felt the fight leave him. And slowly he touched back down on the marble floor, taking in heaving breaths more from their yelling match instead of the fight. It was as the silence continued to stretch on between them, that he felt the tell tale signs of guilt begin to rise up in his consciousness.

"Blackfire?"

The young woman in question stirred, and it was then he noticed pale fists clenching and unclenching the dark black material, tremors shaking her frame, causing the last of his anger to dissipate and be replaced by concern.

"Blackfire, are you alright? I know I've seen you take more than a kick from Star and get back up, what's wrong?"

It was when he reached the bed did he finally see it, the one thing that always made Danny freeze up and send his thoughts into a downward spiral of panic. Blackfire, queen of bitchiness, and overall being an overconfident pain in the ass, who singlehandedly just managed to make his and Starfire's lives a current hell…was fighting back tears.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the castle, Beastboy gave a startled scream, stumbling out of a dark green chair which turned out to be a decorative plant, causing him to have a distinct look of crazy eye as he started around the dreary room in paranoia.<p>

"I can't tell what's a bed, what's a chair, and what's alive! How am I supposed to get my beauty nap?" It was a question directed to no one in particular, but Robin let out a growl and stalked forward. His normally graceful movements now jerky and disjointed, a thunderous frown on his face.

"How can you even think about sleep? We can't let Danny or Starfire go through with this."

To this Raven stepped forward and lowered her hood, the only outward signs of her distress were the tightness crinkling the corners of her eyebrows.

"We know, but Blackfire is right on both accounts: Danny falls under the classification as an alien, and even still, it would be impossible for him to prove he was born a normal human without revealing who he was in a court of law. And as for Starfire, this is her planet, her people, and things are different, who are we to question her culture?"

At that Robin grit his teeth. Raven was right, the laws were against them. It was also why so many metas still hid their powers, simply for the fact that the likely hood they would end up in a place like Bell Reeve or Arkham, was significantly higher than someone considered 'pure'. The legal system was flawed in that respect. For all the world's acceptance of heroes and villains, when it came to civil liberties and inalienable rights, it was as if they were thrown out the door the second one revealed they were meta. In fact, if Beastboy was tried in court, it would be near impossible to prove he'd been human at birth, the only thing protecting him was his willingness to fight crime, and by being a part of the Teen Titans, and by association, the Justice League, it allowed him certain freedoms and liberties that were denied to a civilian meta. The hypocrisy was not lost on anyone. Nor the injustice of it, and the reminder that Blackfire had given him set Robin's blood boiling. Whether it was at her, or his own willingness to overlook it for the greater good, Robin couldn't say. For all the self-proclaimed progress Earth's peoples' had made on written paper with ideals, the reality and unspoken rules were far more grim and depressing. And if that didn't upset Robin, which it did, the straw that broke the camel's back was the fact that Danny had once again _accepted_ it. And Starfire as well, she'd looked at Phantom not with pity or guilt, at Blackfire's ruling, but with understanding.

Both of them were so…clueless, sometimes about their value and self-worth in life that it made Robin want to strangle them.

"I get it Raven, I do. But you saw the way Starfire looked, she doesn't even like him and Phantom sure as hell didn't agree to this simply because he, 'has no say', it was probably because he didn't want to risk us getting into a fight. What we do know is that Blackfire arranged this whole thing, how do we know even know if any of this is real? Cyborg and Beastboy, check out the Drenthax fleet. Raven, see if you can learn about this _thing_ Starfire's marrying."

"And you?" Cy asked as Robin's face set in grim determination, "I need to see Starfire, and possibly beat the afterlife out of Danny."

* * *

><p>"Blackfire?"<p>

She hated that name, sadly, it was the only way her name translated into any Earth language. And to hear it be uttered with such, worry and care, set her blood boiling in humiliation. It made her feel the bitterness and sting of old wounds all the more.

"Komand'r."

"What?"

To this she looked up to glare at Phantom's two glowing green eyes as he approached the bed, concern and distrust warring across his face. Not that she could blame him for his mistrust, she was forcing him into marriage. It was still the most emotional display anyone had shown her.

"My name in Tamaranean is Komand'r." She snapped, quickly moving to sit up and brush the traces of tears rimming her eyes while hiding her face from Phantom with the thick fall of her liquid onyx hair.

"Alright, is there a particular reason why you're crying, Kom?"

Phantom asked moving to sit next to her, his dark tenor voice rolling her name with ease, perfectly filling the vowel and bleeding it over into the next consonant, as if one were cupping water in their hands and letting flow down one's parched throat, suffusing her name with life instead of the tart bitterness most called her. Those keen eyes studying her every move with a piercing intensity that Blackfire knew she could never fool. Suddenly, she wondered if selecting him as her betrothed had been such a wise idea.

"Are you sure you want to ask such a question? Girls don't like it when they're called out for crying, they'd rather be comforted."

To this Phantom shot her an annoyed look.

"Right…ignoring that load of lies, are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to guess?"

Blackfire gave a humorless snort, "relax, I'll go easy on you. I simply didn't like your comment about my armor."

At Danny's confused look Blackfire chuckled, "you really don't think it odd that I wear so much?"

"Should I?"

"Do you think it strange that all my people are golden skinned, and have hair of flaming reds or browns, while I alone have pale white and onyx black?"

Understanding began to dawn on Phantom's face, yet he still raised a skeptical eyebrow towards her.

"So you're different, I'm guessing there's more to it than that."

"Indeed."

And to this Danny watched as Blackfire's eyes seemed to lose their focus on him. Turning glassy and distant, her head tilting to the side as if hearing sounds from far away. It made her look strangely fragile.

"The day I was born should have been celebration, 'the first princess born in over a hundred years' they all sang. Instead, the Citadel Empire attacked and slaughtered over three-thousand of my people in the city of Kyarr as a slight unto my name. You can only guess how my people took this."

"They blamed you." Danny voiced colorlessly, void of blame, yet Blackfire recoiled slightly as if shying away from a physical blow.

"It didn't help that I was born sickly and incapable of absorbing the rays of energy we use for flight, such a crippling thing that only through Kori's pleadings unto Old Galfor, and his appeals to the court, was I able to retain my status as first born. Not that it made much difference. The people all adore my little sister, and would gladly take up the sword against me, should she wish it. When I left Tamaran, I traveled to the darker parts of the universe where I met with a doctor who devised this armor. Most of it comes off. But some doesn't. He gave me the gift of flight, and in return I stole and plundered, all the while seeking what power is rightfully mine." Blackfire finished bitterly, her eyes overly bright and a painful sight to see.

For a long while Danny merely stared at her in silent contemplation, until of all things he found himself starting to laugh. Not a chuckle, but a true genuine aches-in-the-sides laughter. Blackfire looked about ready to murder the halfa.

"You dare insult me?!"

She screamed, lunging at him and Danny had to phase through the bed to avoid the starbolt sent at his chest. The instant he reappeared by the patio doors, Blackfire was already yanking on her boots, preparing to storm out, her face flushed in humiliation, eyes blazing violet. It was such a familiar sight Danny couldn't keep the sardonic smile off his lips.

"I'm sorry, you simply remind me someone I know…"

"Oh yeah? And who is that?" She hissed.

Danny's eyes merely seemed to turn hollow. Freezing Blackfire in her place, robe clutched loosely in hand as he walked forward with the lithe grace of a predator. She nearly blocked a punch that never came. Instead Phantom bent down and retrieved her crown before sliding it easily over her hair, and letting it settle in place. His green eyes all the while unreadable, looking years older except for the brush of white bangs, fanning down messily in front, bringing his boyish looks into hard definition; Phantom looked like a striking young man, with the Tamaranean sunlight bathing him from behind in a halo of blazing orchard reds.

Except the light showed the ghastly pallor of his skin.

Which this close, Blackfire could see the almost translucent quality it held; papery thin so that the green veins below, fanning out in web of design, almost fooled her into thinking he was a living being.

It was then of course she felt the freezing curl of air sink down into her skin, past armor and blood, freezing her to the core. And those green eyes, so absent of any other shade or design besides _solid glowing green,_ drew back her attention with an hypnotic grace. Suddenly Komand'r felt as if all of her misfortune and plight during life, her struggles to reclaim and affirm her power from: the surgery, seizing Tamaran, to these marriages, meant absolutely nothing to Phantom.

The absence of these feelings, the pointlessness, made her keenly aware of the blood rushing in her veins. Phantom tilted his head, regarding her with knowing eyes.

It sent fearful chills racing down her spine, her skin prickling in cold-sweat.

"Tell me, Kom,"

She hoped with fervor then that he would tell her about this person she reminded him of…

"In all this time, all the people who drove you away, was Kori among them? Or is it her purity you hate?"

The afternoon light was gone. But the room was still washed in white.

Blackfire whirled around and stalked to the doors, having all the times before floated instead, yanked the double doors open, but paused at the entrance. Not wanting to give Phantom the satisfaction of turning around, she merely chose to cast an eye over her shoulder.

"Don't you mean 'naïveté'?"

Danny stood rooted to the spot, all harsh lines and avenging presence, even as his mouth quirked in triumph, "No, I don't."

She locked the doors, hoping it would bring some measure of pleasure before realizing if he so chose, Phantom could go free, Blackfire in that moment wondered if this is what true hate felt like.

* * *

><p>Down below, in the valley surrounding the Cliffside Castle, Cyborg was cutting a hole into the haul of one scarab ship of the Drenthax fleet. Stepping into the darkened corridor with Beastboy trailing behind, he'd flipped open his shoulder light, right when he heard the changeling give a muffled scream before tripping over a thick cable running across the floor.<p>

"What are you trying to do, wake up the whole…where's the crew?" He asked, his voice rising to a normal volume as his scanners indicated no life signs throughout the ship that would need at most a minimum of ten to operate it.

Beastboy sat up and rubbed one aching shin, "out to lunch, maybe?"

Walking further inside to the cockpit, the two seats were empty except for the strange beeps and clicks of buttons and electronics, when Cy turned the seat around both Titans were met with a robot that reminded the scifi-geeks of R2-D2.

"Remote control, they've got a whole fleet of ships…"

"But no army." Beastboy finished, when the sound of metal whispering through air reached them and both turned to see four guards, handpicked by the Empress, walking towards them.

"And Blackfire doesn't want anyone to know." Cy answered.

* * *

><p>Komand'r, Blackfire, Kom, all variations of her name, along with whatever it translated to in Glgrdsklechh's language. But even speaking his language it still sounded a lot like stepping into a puddle of mud. Messy and undignified, which in her current state of mind, with Phantom's presence still etched there, only served to enflame her. And when the floating glob brought up their trade agreement, and her plans for power, she seized at it, at the familiar burn of manipulating others in her palms, of gaining the power that belonged to her.<p>

At the Skluredge's sloppy compliment, Blackfire smirked, "Yes, my plan was brilliant wasn't it, Glgrdsklechh?" She answered, her tone that of a statement, while both moved down the hall. One walking, the other floating.

"I give you my pesky little sister, and you give me the Jewel of Charta." With this the disgusting blob opened a small wooden box, so out of place surrounded by metalwork, in it, a blood red jewel set in gold diamond trim glowed brilliantly.

When she picked it up her eyes bled electric red, her starbolts the color of a star going supernova. The rush in her veins banished the doubts Phantom had imprinted on her mind.

"With its powers enhancing my own, I can rule Tamaran with an iron fist. No one will dare challenge me."

Only one would. Her mind whispered. Beside her, Glgrdsklechh began convulsing violently before he spat out a mouthful of green saliva, sending it above her head, and Blackfire whirled around to see Raven come tumbling down from the shadows of her hiding place, looking disdainfully at the stuff coating her.

"Well done, Glgrdsklechh, you've discovered a spy." Blackfire reveled in the way Raven's violet eyes widened in shock, then pain, as one red starbolt slammed into her before she slumped to the floor, unconscious.

As the guards took the Titan away, and Glgrdsklechh left to go prepare his ships for departure, Blackfire pinned the Jewel to her chest plate and gazed in the mirror; the way it stood out against pale skin and sliver armor, darker than any of her peoples flaming hair and solar kissed skin, it made her smile. Finally, she was _free_.

* * *

><p>Starfire pivoted, watching the flowing movements of the white silk follow the reflection of herself across the mirror. The dress was beautiful. Silver metal in a blossoming design encased her neck and shoulders, meeting smoothly with the white material of her dress that cut perfectly down her figure in a diamond form, the sides open to show golden skin, then continuing down in a long terrain of folds and silts that when she walked, would blow like the leaves on the trees to reveal flashes of skin and the silver of her sandals which came up to her knees. All that was left were the gauntlets of the same blossoming design and the crown of bonding, which ironically was the same as her big sister's. Starfire didn't feel beautiful in the slightest.<p>

No, she wanted to fly away and take her friends with her, never to see Tamaran again. And those truly retching thoughts were what drove her to open her bedroom doors to see the guards standing outside. One turned to look at her, his eyes hard and emotionless, such a strange thing to see in her people. But that was the problem, they were her people, this her home, and her duty. It mattered not what happened in the past, she was still the Princess, and Blackfire now her Empress.

So why did Earth feel more a home than Tamaran?

"Oh X'hal, forgive me for such blasphemy." She whispered hoarsely, her voice not carrying in the luscious room.

She had placed the last pin to keep the long, thick red braid that was her hair, from coming undone as it rested over her right shoulder. When she heard a soft sound, like one chipping away at stone, then Robin was vaulting over her balcony, and she was flying to him so fast, nearly all the hard work from taming her fiery mane came undone.

"Oh Robin, I…trust you are enjoying your stay?" Star forced herself to pull up short of barreling into his arms from where he perched on the railing. Robins mouth went strangely slack, eyes widening beneath the domino mask, before he shook his head and held out one black gloved hand, the fingertips intricately detailed to give one the best advantages in a fight.

"Come on, we're getting out of here."

Starfire felt her throat constrict, and she had to look away, down to the long train that required she hover off the ground, lest she trip over it.

"Robin, I am sorry. I cannot."

"Starfire, you don't want to marry him."

His voice was so sure, and Kori wished so dearly that she could agree with him.

"Marrying him…will bring peace to my planet. It is good for everyone."

Hollow words.

"It's not good for you."

Robin stated, "…for either of you." He hastily added a blush dusting his cheekbones at his slipup, but Starfire, having turned away did not see it.

"Robin, if you cannot be happy for me. Perhaps, you should not attend my wedding."

"_Starfire_."

And there it was. The way Robin said her name whenever she was in danger, the way it seemed to be breaking open in heart wrenching pain and care, and Starfire felt every fiber in her being constrict and howler all at once, because it was a tone she never wanted to hear in his voice.

But when she turned around to plea, to say something…_anything_, Robin was not there. Numbly she went back to the mirror, beginning once more the long process or rebraiding her hair, the wedding dress flowing around her beautifully.

* * *

><p>Danny was rapidly losing his patience. And when that went, usually it took buildings with it, not that he'd ever been known for <em>having<em> patience. A fact Jazz had loved to remind him about, "you need to stop and take in the situation, or else you'll end up face planting into a brick wall…_like_ _that!"_

Why she'd always given him advice when he'd been fighting would forever remain a mystery to him.

But already Danny had to chase off the two servants determined to clothe him…he could figure out how to put this stuff on. And _no,_ they did _not_ need to bathe him…he was dead, not dirty…_thank you very much_. And now a middle aged woman, with her fiery red hair pulled high in a bun, with a scar running underneath one eye, who gave off the impression of a librarian, was fussing over the dos and don'ts of what to do once he was the King of Tamaran…or Consort…Danny hadn't quite figured out what the woman had called him. But judging from the way she kept eyeing him like a refined possession of Blackfire's, he was leaning towards the latter regardless of what miss Liberian quoted: '_we agree to be in harmony with', _yeah right, was making him want to blow something up really bad.

"Alright, I get it: stand up straight, look pretty, and keep my mouth shut. _I got it."_ He hissed.

Jeez, Danny was starting to worry if the Ghost Writer had stuck him in another one of his fairytale princess stories he was so fond of. And no, he was not going there, Tucker was the only soul who'd ever known that tale, and that would ever know.

To this X'nra sniffed, leveling him a pointed look which was worse than her looking down at him from her long nose with a cheerful smile.

"I think not. You will represent the might of our planet, like the great _Si'npa_, you will rest by the Empresses side, a promise and a threat. Forever embodying the _Love and War_ of our culture."

Danny found himself staring at X'nra with disbelief at the iron belief she held in him.

"A _Si'npa_?" He asked dumbly, and to this X'nra rolled her eyes at his lack of knowledge.

"A great and noble beast, with wings pure white and eyes fiery red, that was said to have shown the Tamaranean people the gift of flight so that they could reach the Heavens to reside by X'hal, our goddesses side. Guardians of the Otherworld."

"And what happened to these _Si'npa_?" He asked trying not to snort at the description, yeah, Blackfire wasn't playing up the symbolism _at all, _and he was_ defiantly _a Consort.

X'nra seemed to hesitate, her green eyes going distant, "they died when the people asked them to stay."

When Danny raised a single white eyebrow, X'nra seemed to straighten then, humped in response before she smiled, all traces of seriousness gone so fast it was like it never existed. Cheerfully looking down at him once more like a pesky, highbrow librarian, she took his forearms in her hands and wrapped beautiful dark silver metal gauntlets with spiraling designs of fire over his white gloves. And instantly, Danny felt the urge to blow something up all over again.

* * *

><p>The guards dragged Robin through the underground cells with inhuman strength enough to hold a man three times his size. Not that it mattered. When they flung him into the prison that was more a simple energy shield, Robin stayed down, his fists clenched tight. How could he let this happen? Two booted feet stepped into his view and Cyborg's voice hummed deep in his chest as he looked at his leader still kneeling on the floor.<p>

"So, did you find Danny?"

"No. And I couldn't talk her out of it."

"Then I guess we're not invited to their weddings?" Beastboy questioned watching as Robin stood up and gazed at them, or rather through them with a lost look that hunched his shoulders.

"She has to marry him, for her people."

"No, she doesn't, and neither does Danny." Raven answered, her voice having bite to it as she said Phantom's name. Her eyes seeming to sharpen looking like she was the one planning to beat him into the next afterlife.

"It's all a lie: the army, the war, everything. Blackfire set this whole thing up." Cy reported and Robin snapped to attention.

"Then we have to tell Starfire and Danny the truth, before it's too late."

* * *

><p>Starfire was gazing at herself in the mirror once more, her unruly hair twisted into a long ponytail that draped loosely down her shoulder, she looked stunning. Except for the small wisps of hair that refused to cooperate, even with the small pins placed strategically around her head. She still hadn't put on the betrothal crown.<p>

"I have never seen a more beautiful bride." Galfor remarked, walking lightly in the room, a strange feat for one so big. But perhaps perfected from the many years of sneaking peeks into rooms to make sure the King and Queens children were sleeping soundly, and nightmare free. That seemed so long ago. And Starfire wished deeply to fling herself in Old Galfor's arms and hide away, the small child she felt like at the moment.

Galfor settled the crown on the Princess, the metalwork highlighting her long, lean, almond shaped face, which held a look of sad maturity and resignation.

"Something troubles you, my little bumgorfu?" He asked.

Starfire carefully didn't look up. "Nothing troubles me…"

Galfor raised his hand to stay the rest of her words, "Do not attempt to fool and old K'norfka. I raised you. I have always expected great things from you, my Princess, and tonight is no exception."

"Yes, I will do what is right for Tamaran." Star answered and even to her ears it sounded parroted and false.

Gently, a strong hand lifted her chin, and Starfire felt her heart stutter at the look of old love, of paternal love, burning in Galfor's eyes.

"You must do what is right; in your heart."

The doors opened, and the guards beckoned her to follow. It was time and the moon was beginning to set. With one strong hug she gave Galfor, Starfire flew from the room, ever looking the Princess she was.

* * *

><p>Blackfire twirled in her midnight purple wedding dress, the Jewel of Charta resting ever so tantalizing on her armored breast. She looked stunning, and the folds of finely woven silks hid the worst of her scars while accenting the tarnished silver. For once, Blackstar resembled her name, and she felt giddy. Tonight would mark a new beginning, she would be rid of Kori, the throne of Tamaran forever hers, and Phantom would serve her; like a sword shinning decrotively on the wall, peaceful but looming. She would be absolute, and felt no remorse for her actions. At least, that's what she kept telling herself every time the doors would open and she'd brace herself, expecting to be met with glowing green eyes instead of forest green. After the tenth servant, she ordered no one disturb her.<p>

"You know, they say if you stare into the depths of a mirror to long your soul will fall through and drown in its depths." Phantom stated easily, appearing from nowhere in particular, causing Blackfire to jump in fright, before she plastered on a smirk.

"Narcissus, really? How…"any comeback she had died in her throat as she took in Phantom's attire. He was dressed in formal robes for a male in Tamaran. Which really wasn't a lot to begin with. But where skin should have been, sleek black material was instead, presenting itself like the underbelly of the Great Beast, edging to a more feral appearance, animalistic as muscles shifted under the traditional open designs of polished silver armor resting on his shoulders, neck, arms, his feet in a outer form of boot that stopped to his knees. A long trailing black robe drifted behind his shoulders, parting like the wings of a bird, and lined with embroidered silver thread, at his hips more black material clasped by silver flowed downwards at a slightly tilting angle, longer on one side, stopping a hairs breath from brushing the ground.

But what really stole her breath away, was his crown. Where Blackfire and Starfire's were solid, a sign of who they were, and the bloodline they represented. Phantom's, like the rest of his outfit, had flowing flaming designs, the metal so thin she couldn't tell where it ended and his skin began as it wrapped around his face and up behind his ears as if it were feathers growing out of his snow white hair, and with the scowl on his face, the tight set of his jaw and the blazing of those eyes, Phantom looked…regal, powerful. Caged.

"You're staring." Phantom commented, moving to stand by the door, agitation radiating from him.

In a rare bought of introspection Blackfire felt foreboding prickle her nerves. X'nra had done an excellent job dressing him. He looked like a caged _Si'npa,_ the beasts that had saved her people. The ones who died away from being denied the right to fly. And who brought ruin to the leaders foolish enough to try and tether them down. And while power was what she craved, Blackfire held no illusions of the type of power she was attempting to grasp and what type of leader it would make her become.

"Do you think I'm evil?" Blackfire blurted out before realizing what she'd asked, but Phantom only rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Don't make yourself out to be the monster in this story Kom, that never ends well."

"Sometimes it doesn't for the hero, either." She spoke. No small amount of venom in her voice, telling volumes of who she believed to be the hero.

Danny leveled her a glare, "Kori isn't the hero either, you only choose to believe that out of jealousy and sibling rivalry, which, granted, you've taken to a _whole_ new level, but…"

"But what?" She pressed.

A sifting of shoulders, and black robes with silver trim caught the light and shimmered like the angry ruffling of feathers, testing their wingspan before diving down to devour one's prey.

"If push comes to shove, you're not the girl I'm standing by."

Blackfire felt petty satisfaction at telling him otherwise. For in fact, he would be standing beside her.

"Let's go, it's Moonset."

* * *

><p>All was quite in the damp, dark prison below the castle, the only light coming from the energy fields keeping the criminals at bay. When in a fiery explosion, the Teen Titans cell burst open and they stood glowering at the guards, who charged at them with spears. They easily ran away when Beastboy turned into one of the giant guard dogs lining the entrance of the castle. Cy, Raven and Robin merely looked at the changeling in shock.<p>

"How did you know you could do that?" Cy asked while they ran up the stairs, Beastboy smiled and gave a small shrug while Robin roundhouse kicked some guards through the door way.

"Lucky guess."

* * *

><p>They were at the main gate when the strange earsplitting horns resounded throughout the halls. The ceremony was starting. And Starfire would be wed first, being the end to a beginning, Robin let out a growl and flung himself into the fray of opponents, feeling his friends move behind him.<p>

The processional to the dais was long and Starfire didn't look at the mass of people gazing to her with gratitude and hope. All openly admiring her beauty and grace, from what she could gather in their whispers, along with the fierce awe and wonder at the unearthly creature standing beside the Empress. Star kept her eyes forward, locked on Danny's glowing green from where he stood beside Blackfire, and kept her arm clasped tightly in one of Galfor's as they moved further down where Glgrdsklechh sat on his floating chair. When they stopped at the foot of the stairs, Galfor took great pleasure in the way the disgusting liquid thing flinched away at his menacing growl, before he moved and the thing came to stand in his place. It was as the music stopped Starfire realized she and Danny were alone.

"Where are our friends?"

Blackfire smirked, the two sisters' polar opposites in all appearances: from hair, eyes, skin, dress, and even their intendeds standing beside them. A show of power. One Starfire knew she now lacked, for the Skluredge made her look like a lamb being sacrificed for peace. And Danny, who, in the finest trappings and with the natural grace and glow he exuded, exalted Blackfire and made her the lioness. Her sister represented prosperity, and she a bad memory.

And from the way Danny's eyes blazed, Starfire knew he was thinking the same thing. But how could he know of her sisters tragic birth? She brushed it off, Danny would see all of this from a political standpoint, not from the fact that Kom was attempting to rise to the heavens after being caged for so long. It made Kori's heart ache.

Blackfire moved down the steps her voice dropping low, "guess they had better things to do." Then her violet eyes lifted, and her voice seemed to fill the entire hall, "My humble servants, we meet at Moonset to bind my sister to this handsome young Skluredge in joyous betrothal. Can any living among us offer reason why these two lovebirds should not be together?"

Danny had to bite the inside of his cheek at the one word he cherished more than any other being used so mockingly, granted, it took the better part of his life to get over the embarrassment of it when people would call him and Sam that. And he shot a glare at Kom's back for her wise choice in using the word living. Where the hell were Robin and the Titans? He'd at least hoped they'd have time to come up with a plan to get them the hell out of Dodge, and away from Blackfire before the weddings.

When silence prevailed around the hall Blackfire smiled, "Didn't think so. Then do you Glgrdsklechh, take Starfire to be your wife as decreed by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran?"

The green blob gave off some strange wheezing snorts that made Starfire cringe while Danny's eyes slowly began to darken in fury, knowing the thing was saying, 'I do'.

"And do you, Starfire, take Glgrdsklechh to be your husband?"

"I…"

Blackfire leaned forward in anticipation, "Yes, sister dear?"

It was then a resounding thump filled the room, "_Starfire_!"

Everyone turned to gaze up at the windows where Robin was battling the guards three times his strength and Starfire gasped while the Tamaranean people began to mummer in unease.

"Silence!" Blackfire screamed, her fists clenched and movements agitated as she glowered at her little sister, pointing fiercely to the Skluredge.

"Do you wish to do what is right and take this thing to be your husband?"

The balance of power was tipping, this was her only chance, Starfire glowered up at her big sister, "I do not."

Blackfire screamed and her eyes went crimson, a starbolt sending Starfire hurtling backwards, crashing into the carpet aisle.

"Treason!"

"I thought we _agreed_ you'd do what is best for Tamaran, little sister. You will marry the Skluredge." Blackfire growled, floating down the stairs her people all stepping back as the sisters stood against the other. The sound of double doors being thrown open, then the Teen Titans came rushing in, Robin at the head of the group, a thunderous scowl on his face.

"It's a trick, all of it. Blackfire's been lying to everyone."

The crowd gasped and Starfire turned electric green eyes on her sister, tearing the marriage crown from her face and throwing it at Blackfire's feet, her long braid beginning to unravel making her appear like a righteous goddess.

"You are not what's best for Tamaran."

"You _dare_ challenge the Grand Ruler?"

"I challenge my sister, for the crown."

Then a fury the two attacked, faster than vipers as they struck one another, the palace walls crumbling beneath them as the people below watched on in baited breath. When Blackfire kicked her sister into another room Robin rushed forward, sharpened blades already in hand.

"_Starfire_!"

"Hold." Galfor ordered as he held out one arm, Danny descending the steps to take his place next to the old warrior.

"If anyone interferes, the challenge is void, the Princess will lose."

"'Sides, are girl can handle herself." Cy answered reassuringly.

Beastboy then got a good look at Danny and his eyes bugged out, "Dude, what the heck are you _wearing_?!"

Danny shot him an icy glare, "Well, if you guys hadn't taken your sweet time getting here."

The changeling paled a little and moved to stand behind Raven whose fingers were itching like she wanted to rip the halfas face off, or zap with black magic, it made Danny nervous and he shifted his weight subtly away from her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

A boom filled the air, followed by the very foundations of the building quaking, and the team rushed along with the majority of the people to the giant hole in the floor where the sisters were throwing starbolts and furniture at each other. But after a long brigade of starbolts by Starfire nothing seemed to get through to Blackfire. And the elder sister smirked in gloating pride, tapping the Jewel set in the armor on her wedding dress.

"The Jewel of Charta, I'm invincible."

Everyone winced when Blackfire threw a frickin' pillar at Star.

"Besides Starfire, you'll always be my _little_ _sister_."

Starfire turned burning eyes towards her, fiery hair undone, her dress covered in dust and grim and sweat, and she still managed to look breathtaking as she rose from the ground.

"I am not so little anymore." She growled before blasting Blackfire with her eyes, then they went tumbling down into the caverns of the palace, the Tamaranean people quickly going back to stand in the hall, waiting for the Princesses to return. And sure enough, both came up through the floor of the dais, Starfire on her knees, while Blackfire hovered over her, her own wedding dress equally destroyed and billowing around her.

"That's right, bow down before your Grand Ruler."

"You may be the ruler of this planet, but you are not the ruler of me!"

Starfire lunged, her palm outstretched and reaching, and in a flash of red energy the girls were blown apart. It wasn't until Blackfire saw the broken shards of jewel resting in Starfire's hand that she realized what her sister had done.

Then in a hail of green light, Starfire threw starbolt after starbolt until her palms burned from the friction, only letting up when the smoke obscured her view. She and the people of her planet waited, until there, still standing with burning violet eyes, Blackfire collapsed on the dais, her crown slipping off and falling between them. The tension was malleable in the air, the winner obvious, yet Starfire made no move to pick up the heavy piece of metal.

Everyone started when Danny began to walk forward, the Tamaranean's emotions being pulled tighter than piano wires and in a strange sense of confusion, the Teen Titans watched as the crown turned green and lifted up into Danny's hands. An expressionless mask firmly in place except for the way those eyes blazed.

Realizing what he was offering. Starfire felt her heart quicken, but she tipped her head forward nonetheless when Danny came to stand in front of her, and she felt cold fingers place the burden in place. When she opened her eyes, they were once more filled with thanks. It was hard knowing what she had to do, but almost in a daze, Starfire remembered ice blue eyes so soft, filled with understanding, as a hurting boy helped a lost girl who was caught in indecision, out of the trash bin, brushing the banana peel from her hair, offering her his allegiance while her sister stole the rest. _"You're far from okay."_

Then Danny had bowed and walked away. Only now he stayed, kneeling at her feet, while a strangled sound of betrayal tore from Blackfire's throat behind him. But it was a sound Phantom paid no mind, and one Starfire ignored. Her sister had started down a dangerous path in choosing Danny, and Starfire wasn't above accepting his help to obtain this goal from what he represented.

"The challenge is complete. Tamaran has a new leader. And of this I ask: Phantom, to whom will you bless?"

Danny looked up with a mischievous smile meant only for Starfire, "I bless the one who sets me free."

His voice rang throughout the Hall.

The air in the entire room seemed nonexistent, all eyes focused on the Queen dressed in White, and with sure hands Starfire took the crown of flaming feathers and broke it in half with a decisive _snap_ and power then seemed to poor out of Phantom, his aura a living thing.

"Then I release you from your servitude to my people, and that of my sister."

Phantom stood up then, all sharp movements, his robes flying about, entangling in the long train of Starfire's dress, a _Si'npa_ spreading its wings.

"Then my allegiance is yours. You are the Ruler of Tamaran."

His voice echoed in and of itself, needing no extra help to carry in sound and at his words the Tamaranean people burst into thunderous praises, stamping their feet, raising their hands and singing Starfire's name.

In the midst of all the cheers no one noticed Blackfire's stricken face as she looked on the celebration of her people, once more leaving her behind as the guards restrained her. But slightly shifting, Phantom caught Komand'r's eyes and in them, she saw they held no sympathy, only the silent message, _"I told you where me allegiance lies."_

Then he turned away, angled towards her sister, who indeed embodied purity of power, the _Si'npa_ at her side.

It was as she was being taken away, Blackfire wondered if Danny thought she was still free of the title called monster.

* * *

><p>Starfire felt the waves of joy resounding around her, lifting her spirits, acting as a balm unto her weary soul, and in the high she turned to meet one sullen looking Skluredge.<p>

"I am sorry, Glurgg…glurrr…you, but there shall be no wedding." At his acknowledgment she smiled, "Yet I wish to ask thee a favor, could you provide a ship?" The green blob tilted his head but after a moment acquiesced, not willing to sacrifice potential ties of trade with this planet, before he turned and floated away to make preparations.

Still, as the people began to leave and repair the castle. Galfor storming about, barking orders while managing to simultaneously look menacing and comforting all at once, Starfire felt one gaze burn into the back of her head, making her heart ache in the worst way possible.

Robin.

She turned to meet his eyes and partially outstretched hand, "so now that you rule the planet, I guess that means you'll be staying here." He stated, the end of his voice breaking.

"The T-Ship will be repaired in two days time, and…I must do what is right for Tamaran."

With this she walked away, Danny following down the hall, past the Tamaranean people who would stop and kneel, leaving the rest of the Titans feeling lost and disjointed.

Beastboy was the first to bring it up, "So what just happened? Is Star really not coming and why is Danny acting all…_like that_?" He asked gesturing to the halfa as he disappeared down the hall and out the double doors.

Cyborg scratched his head, "Obviously we're missing some pretty big cultural clues that he picked up on."

"That's no excuse for him to ditch us." Raven snapped, yanking her hood up and BB and Cy blinked at her then smirked.

"Ah…weren't you the one who said we shouldn't interfere with their culture?" Beastboy chimed and Raven's eyes could freeze Hell.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Danny is still a member of Earth and not a member of Tamaran." She hissed, for once her anger doing nothing to deter the two teens, only aiding in their split-eating smirks.

"Jealous?" Cy sang, then screamed as he fell through the floor and Beastboy had to seek refuge behind a nice looking Tamaranean girl with a long ponytail, and armor far more revealing than Starfire's.

"Hey, where'd Rob go?"

"I believe he mumbled something along the lines of needing air." Galfor replied, helping Cyborg out of the floor, a thoughtful expression on the old K'norfka's face.

Cy's eyes darkened in understanding, before he shook his head and grinned, "Now about repairing my ship…I'll need,"

Cy went on rambling, ordering whoever would listen about, nearly as bad as the Old Warrior.

* * *

><p>Danny found Starfire sitting on her windowsill, dressed in her traditional armor, the crown resting in her lap collecting droplets of water from her wet hair, back pressed against the stone, eyes overlooking the mountains.<p>

Silently, he joined her, listening to the faint sounds of celebration still going on in the city below where her people where flying about.

"I…wish to thank you for your support, friend Danny."

Danny snorted and nudged her lightly with his white boot, "Star, stop with the formalities. I did what I thought was right and took some pretty wild guesses on how to go about making sure a civil war didn't start with you beating the daylights out of Blackfire."

Star met his eyes then and gave a watery smile, "My people are driven by emotion, but we tend to forgive easily, choosing to love instead of fight. And you did very well…where did you get that crown?"

"Oh, this? I asked X'nra to make it from a ice design I formed. It seemed fitting since I'm supposed to represent a _Si'npa_ or something. You don't like it?" He asked suddenly unsure but Starfire quickly shook her head, her eyes holding an almost reverence as she took it in hand.

"No. It is lovely. It reminds me of my families crest, modeled after the sweeping clouds that surround the storms."

Gently, she handed it back to Danny who looked at it, the sweeping feather designs that wrapped around his ears and up had a softer edge, instead of framing his face, it was only connected by a thin strip of metal running across his forehead, a circle with a red jewel inside, something X'nra had added.

"Huh, I just figured since you broke the last one, this shows my 'allegiance and freedom' all in one."

Star giggled at Danny using air quotes before his green eyes turned serious.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I…"

Her voice died and she looked down at her own crown. After a time, Danny let out a sigh and hopped down, the only Tamaranean armor on him was the crown, shoulder, and arm gauntlets, now modeled after the new headpiece and Starfire still found him reminding her of the Great Bird.

"First, how about we figure out what to do with your sister?"

Nodding, she followed him, placing on her own crown and attaching her long purple robe while Danny waited patiently by the door.

* * *

><p>The underground security had been tightened after the Titans escape, and it still remained as dark and cold as it always had been. Aside from the prisoners whispering eagerly amongst themselves, apparently news travelled fast, even to those locked out of sight. Blackfire was the easiest to find, her cell in the darkest part, hands bound in front by energy dampeners.<p>

Her head snapped up immediately to glare at Starfire and Danny.

"If you've come to gloat _sister dear_, I'm decidedly not in the mood right now, so…"

"Sister."

Starfire's voice halted Blackfire in her tracks as she took in those tormented green eyes.

"I have come to administer your sentence." She said, her shoulders squaring in resolution.

Blackfire leered, "what are you going to do? Slap me on the wrist, tell me not to do it again?"

"I am banishing you from Tamaran."

Blackfire felt like the world dropped out from beneath her feet, and suddenly she was standing, rushing at the barrier.

"Banished? You must be joking, where am I supposed to live? Where am I to go?"

"I do not know. But when the Teen Titans leave, you will as well, the Skluredge has agreed to give you a ship, and where you go is up to you."

For a long moment Blackfire glared at Starfire, before she turned away so as not to alert her little sister of the hot tears prickling her eyes.

"So, this is to be my punishment?" She whispered with finality.

"No. This is to be your redemption, you said Earth has changed me, and it has. Perhaps, you will find a home that does the same. Then one day you can return and rule our people like the Empress you were meant to be."

With this Kori turned away, and Kom was left to meet Danny's knowing eyes.

_Purity_.

Blackfire sank to her knees as he joined Starfire. When no one was watching, Blackfire let the tears fall.

"Yes, I guess I've always hated this place."

* * *

><p>Two days passed in a blur of preparation for a party which would last seven days and nights, Danny noted tiredly. And he thought Queen Dorris and her <em>'we must celebrate this new age for three days' <em>was bad. At least there he could pick up the damn mugs. And in all that time neither he nor Starfire saw much of the rest of the Titans except in passing as they went about repairing the T-Ship. Until on the Moonset of the second night, they met on the balcony overlooking the city, the Tamaranean people all below, hovering off the ground, cheerfulness a tangible thing, white flower petals flowing through the air.

When Old Galfor stepped forward, a broad smile on his haggard face, "All hail _Empress Starfire_ and _Si'npa Phantom_!"

The crowds erupted in cheers.

Starfire gave a beautiful smile and raised her hand for silence.

"Someone very wise once told me to listen to my heart, and so I overthrew my sister, because for now, she is not best for Tamaran. And now, my heart is telling me that I am also not best for Tamaran."

A collective gasp ran out through the crowd while the Teen Titans seemed to straighten, Robin for the first time in two days, seemed to come to life.

But the crowd stilled at Starfire's peaceful smile, "My life, and my heart is on Earth just as _Si'npa's_, that is where we belong. But before we part, I will place you, my people, in good hands. The hands that cared for me as a child…" With this Starfire lifted her crown and flew up to a surprised Galfor and placed the crown upon his head.

"All hail _Emperor Galfor_!"

Like a rising tide, the people sang Galfor's name and fireworks and music began, and the party kicked off with a bang.

Finally, after three long days, Danny and Starfire came over to rejoin their friends sides, along with Blackfire, who was sulking next to her ship yet there was a twinkle in her violet eyes.

"Let us now return to Earth please, I am feeling the sick for my home. My real home." Star admitted and Robin pulled her in a tight hug, not even caring at the guards, who started pulling out sharp spears.

"I'm glad you'll be staying with the Titans for a long time… and not getting married." He whispered, before heading to the ship.

Princess Kori smiled, "Yes, the next time I shall choose my own husband. Who is to know, perhaps there is a groom for me on Earth." With this she hugged Galfor.

Danny was about to follow when a firm hand settled on his shoulder and he tried not to squeak in fear as Galfor got down on one knee and eyed him seriously.

"You will make sure he treats her well, _Si'npa_?" Galfor asked speaking in a tone that reminded Danny of his Dad when Jonny 13 had tried courting his sister. To make it worse, the Old K'norfka shot a look at Robin, and Danny felt his face flush green in a blush…something he didn't even think was _possible_.

"Um…yes, sir?" He then beat a hasty retreat to Raven's side who gave him an odd look but said nothing.

Cyborg then let out a booming laugh, "All right ya'll, when we get home, I'm making us up some waffles!"

"And let's hurry, I couldn't figure out how to use the bathrooms in this place!"

"We are _not_ having any accidents in the T-Ship, _you hear me_!"

The Titans were about to get in the ship when Blackfire called out Danny's name, all of them turned, and right as he was about to snap at her to kindly…_get lost_, a pair of hands grasped his armor and warm lips connected to his. Danny's mind promptly imploded.

Blackfire pulled away, hovering a hairs breath from him, a laughing smirk in her violet eyes.

"That's for calling me a _prude_."

She was already in her ship when he screamed, "I said you dressed like a prude, not _kiss_ like one!" He then froze, realizing that that had come out wrong and gave the rest of the slack jawed Titans the wrong impression.

"No…I mean, we were fighting and…"

"Dude, masochistic much."

"Do you even know what that means!" Danny howled his eyes and fists deadly green and Beastboy leapt into the ship, fearing for his life.

* * *

><p><strong>History:<strong>

I've combined Starfire and Blackfire's history from three different storylines:

The one in the 1980s where Blackfire was a firm but just ruler if a little Xenophobic, I'm taking more bits from this timeline later on, but right now that's all you need.

In the TV show where she was immature for the struggle in gaining power.

And in the New 52 timeline where her and Starfire have a rocky but semi-repaired relationship.

**A _Si'npa_**: is a creature of my own design birdlike so as to appear as Blackfire noted: angelic or divine. But it is similar to the mythical Qilin in Chinese legends which we might compare to a Unicorn. It is said the Qilin would appear in a land ruled by a benevolent ruler. It is gentle but punishes the evil ruthlessly. It also withers and dies if the King starts to fail his people, and then brings ruin to the kingdom at its death. The Qilin is much like proof of the King, or in this case, Queens 'right to rule', also called the 'Mandate from Heaven."

Politics: Something that caught my eye in the New 52 world was when Jason Todd made the comment that if a Terran (person born on Earth) killed an alien, they wouldn't be punished. This got me thinking and that's where the Intergalactic Laws came from, so I then wondered, "where would Danny fall?" I'm mainly putting this in my story to raise the 'what if 'questions of inalienable rights, and civil rights which fight for them. So as of right now, by law Danny is classified not only as being dead, but also an alien (since him being known as a meta or halfa would be bad) but because of this, as Blackfire pointed out the unspoken rules that exist is 'he has no rights' which may or may not come back further along in the story.

When Starfire remembers Danny saying "You're far from okay." That's in chapter two: A Dream of Sisters.

**Names:**

Komand'r or Kom, is Blackfire

Koriand'r or Kori, is Starfire

The Great Beast or Great Bird are terms interchangeable for the word Si'npa

**I want you to help me with the next chapter!** While I have the outline, this chapter turned out a little darker than what I anticipated so this is why I'm taking ideas from you because guess who I'm bringing in **Paulina, Dash, Star and Kwan!**! So drop me a review or PM to tell me what you think should happen.

**AN:** Now, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out and I feel I owe everyone an explanation. Last semester my life pretty much fell apart so I've been having to piece it back together and I apologize for not writing. Now I'm getting back on track, so expect more chapters!

To see some artwork for this chapter go to my profile and follow the link, and remember I haven't drawn anything in over three years and I have a crappy scanner so forgive me for it's quality.

Also if you keep getting updates for this story just know it's because I'm going back and replacing the chapters with some light editing...light because it could use way more...anyways, thank you so much for staying with Titans Phantom and I hope you will **Read, Enjoy and Review.**

~Rin

Next Chapter: Falling into a Quarry


	40. Chapter 32: Waking Up

"_It's just a spark,_

_But it's enough,_

_To keep me going."_

_~Haley Williams _

Titans Phantom

Chapter 32: Waking Up

at the Bottom of a Cliff

"C'mon, hurry up."

The download didn't pick up, and Beastboy growled, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation as the blue line steadily crawled towards completion.

"Eighty-eight, ninety, yes! One-hundred percent! Finally, after bypassing those useless security protocols and accessing the Titans mainframe then routing the signal to an offshore account provided in eastern Zanya. I, Beastboy, have myself an ultra rare copy of Mega Monkeys IV."

With this, he sped from his room; running past Starfire and Robin who needed to dodge in order to prevent being trampled, and past Danny and Raven who looked to be in the middle of a domestic. If they'd been in a relationship, Beastboy noted.

"C'mon Rae, you haven't so much as said 'hello' to me, what did I do?"

"You've done nothing of importance."

Beastboy managed to catch Danny throwing his hands up in exasperation while Raven glowered in the other direction before he rounded the corner and entered the living room. They weren't blowing anything up yet, so, not his problem. Rushing to the game console, he popped in the disk and sat back for the epicness. The screen briefly turned on to show the animated picture of a monkey before the disk was promptly spat back out.

"What? No, this can't be happening!"

Beastboy waited before he stopped, took a breath, and came to the conclusion that the game station didn't have enough juice and promptly ran out of the living room, past Raven who was stalking to the doors with a book she looked more inclined to throw instead of read, and past Danny, who still had all his fingers and hair so, still not his problem. Before he arrived at the Titan Mainframe and the system declared the disk unreadable.

"Ah, man. Isn't there a computer around here that can play this thing?"

It was then Beastboy had an idea, one so horribly wondrous he felt like reciting lines straight from Mr. Grinch as he snuck into Cyborg's darkened room and up to the console in the wall. A fifty-six inch monitor screen inlaid in the metalwork glowing blue, with a tiny Cy sleeping in a bed snoring z's showing the thing to be asleep in the bottom left corner.

"If Cyborg's computer can't handle this, nobodies can. Now where do I…oh, here we go."

After forcing the disk into the drive, he had only a moment of excitement before the entire system, screen and all, began to crackle with electricity before it shut off and Beastboy felt his heart hammer in panic."

"Better motor before…ah!...Cyborg, what are you doing here?" He stuttered, backing away from the door and Cy's large frame as the mechanical teen fixed him with a questioning look.

"It's my room. What are you doing here?"

"Um…practicing my nose whistle?" He tried, knowing full well it was a pour lie as Cy walked into the room.

"Have you been messing with my computer?" Cy asked heading over to his computer and Beastboy made a mad dash to stand in front of it. That is, until Cyborg moved to the wall next to the 'not computer' Beastboy had apparently crashed and the panels flipped open to reveal Cy's computer and keyboard.

"Uh…that's your computer? Then what's this thing?" He asked in growing dread.

"My system recharger, and speaking of, I could use a little juice."

And before Beastboy could react, Cyborg had plugged himself in.

"No, wait! I think your recharger might have a…"

"Virus!" Cyborg finished. Beastboy knew then he should have interfered with Danny and Raven.

* * *

><p>Danny was sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen, watching Starfire cook something that looked…squirmy, when Cyborg burst into the room and headed straight for the sofa, followed by a very haggard Beastboy.<p>

"Cyborg, come back!" the changeling screamed, causing Robin to stand, his shoulders straightening.

"What is going on?" He demanded, looking at Beastboy but it was Cyborg who answered as he admired their couch.

"I'll tell you what's going on, this is the best peanut brittle I've ever tasted!" He then licked the couch and the Titans felt their jaws drop in shock, no one noticing as Starfire's dish left her frying pan. They all then turned to Beastboy who had the grace to appear sheepish.

"Uh, he's just excited, I just got an advanced copy of Mega Monkey IV and…"

"Oh, Star," Cyborg said cutting off the changeling and grabbing Starfire by her shoulders, "do you remember that purply, wriggly, Tamaranian pie thingy you made for us that was full of bugs?"

"My stewed grumpmic that made you physically sick?"

"Yeah, you gotta cook up some of that!"

At Cyborg's exclamation the rest of the Titans, minus Starfire who managed to grab her current dish before it burned Danny's hand as it sludged across the table and tossing it into her soup mix bowl to boil, all faced Beastboy with stern expressions. He caved under their glares and out of worry for his friend.

"Um…long story short, I tried to play Mega Monkey's IV on Cyborg's system recharger and now he's got some kind of computer virus. Or, you know, it could be just gas?"

"A computer virus, Beastboy this is serious." Robin said ignoring Raven's disturbed expression as Cyborg munched on the table like it was a pizza.

"We should take him to see Fixit, he's dealt with Cyborg's systems before."

Danny cut in suddenly trying to decide if he should break free of Cy's hold on his arm since Cyborg seemed to be appraising his black hair by running his other hand through it, making the already messy black locks stand on end. They didn't know Cyborg thought he was looking at a sharp steak knife.

"Guys, a little help." He hissed as Cy gave a sharp tug. Slowly, Robin stepped forward.

"Cyborg, there's something wrong with you. Please, let us help." He soothingly said.

For a long moment Cyborg only stared at Robin a mad glint shinning in his eyes, when his fist tightened in Danny's hair so suddenly all the halfa could do was yelp in shock, too startled to do anything else.

"You bet there's something wrong, we need gravy, and plenty of it!" And when he charged at the giant talking steak, brandishing his cutlery knife, Starfire and Raven tackled him to the ground.

* * *

><p>"Ooh, you know what would be fun? Let's all go out for waffles, Raven you like waffles, don't you?" Cyborg asked from where he was strapped to a lab table in Danny's apartment, the Titans standing around him in worry while Fixit walked about running diagnostics.<p>

"More than life itself." She answered, before walking towards the other side of the room to monitor Cyborg while being able to ignore his inane chatter.

"How bad is it?" Robin asked when Fixit's normal ocean blue aura returned.

"It is not good. He has become infected with the Enzone virus. It will take some time for me to reboot his hard drive and allow his natural protection systems to come back online, then I will begin repairing his circuits. In the mean time, Danny you will run the store, Raven and Starfire you two will work at the café, Robin here are the order request forms I need filled and Beastboy, there are books in my room that need to be added to the shelves."

At the shell shocked expressions of his friends, Danny took pity on them and said that yes, Fixit was serious, and no, there was nothing he could do about it. So that was how the Teen Titans ended up being the first superhero employees at the Bookstore on forty-second street.

"I still don't see why you have to be Danny and not Phantom." Robin grumbled from where he was packing books and printing off the mailing forms behind the oak counter where the two sat, Danny happily taking a girls card, smiling as she took a photo of Robin in full black and red gear, wearing a navy apron and name tag.

"That would be ridiculous since I used to own this place and besides, Cyborg isn't here either so we don't want to draw attention to ourselves." He replied ignoring the thunderous scowl aimed his way as he offered to take the photo for another, who was handsy enough to cause Robin to flush.

"I hate you."

"I know." Danny nearly sang, pausing when he ran a hand through his hair, "Please don't tell me I have a bald spot? It feels like I have a bald spot."

Robin was about to reply when Beastboy stumbled over, panic in his eyes.

"Danny! I have no idea where these go! Fixit has crates of books down there, _crates!_ And I feel like they're burning me just by holding them!" He nearly screamed a look of madness about him, causing Robin to snicker and offer no assistance to Danny who was now trying to calm the distraught changeling.

"Relax, Beastboy, these go at the front of the store under classic lore and fairytales and are arranged in alphabetical order by the authors last name."

At Beastboy's still panicked expression, Danny sighed and quickly reorganized them in the changeling's hands and told him the aisle number.

"Thank you! Oh, and I think the girls wanted to see you." He said before happily scampering off with the mountain of books unknowingly leaving a group of giggling girls in his wake.

"Think you can handle the register as well?"

"I'm not the one who has to split myself in two in order to multi-task."

Danny blinked before glaring at Robin's amused expression.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that."

"It was texting on a cell phone."

"And walking at the same time!" Danny shot back trying to justify himself, instead storming away right as five more customers walked up and the store phone rang, leaving Robin in a flurry of motion.

Despite the overwhelmed feeling and building exhaustion of having to work his store with his friends, who Danny was just now realizing probably never held any ordinary jobs in their lives, Danny couldn't stop the happiness from filling his heart and warm his chest. This felt right and good. On his way to the other side of the store, through the winding shelves of books and the oddly but conveniently placed pieces of furniture, Danny stopped many times to converse with customers he hadn't seen in a long while and met new faces of people who paused, asking for his help, which Danny happily gave.

In fact, it had been a long time since he felt this simple joy and he wasn't going to waste these feelings. Until he rounded the final corner to the small café tucked into the back staircase, and saw Raven glaring daggers at the coffee pot and Starfire mixing drinks like a barista and a suspiciously unlabeled bottle by her side. A group of guys all ranging in ages twelve to twenty, standing around, ogling the two Titans in their navy blue aprons, hair pulled into high ponytails, showing long necks and elegant skin. Danny took a moment to admire the hilarity of the scene before he took the lesser of two evils and stepped towards Starfire first.

"Star? What are you making?"

"Hm? I am making a Magerasha, a drink common on the stars of Nemu and Tara. Blackfire and I used to work in a sala hall where much celebration was held."

Danny suddenly wondered why on earth Starfire could work at what essentially had to be a bar, and not be able to handle a rave when he lightly smelt said unmarked bottle and recoiled. If those were the common drinks, it was answer enough.

"Yes, well, how about we follow what's on the menu and not give my customers trips to the hospital for alcohol poisoning." He said while pouring said mixture and bottle down the drain and handing her the menu. He then looked to Raven and almost turned invisible for the glare she was giving his coffee maker.

"Uh, Raven?"

"Speak to me and I will send you and this blasted machine to another dimension."

Fearing her wrath, he merely hit the machine, watched it whirl to life and smiled at a young high school girl asking for a pastry, all the while ignoring the cold shivers racing down his spine.

"Pastry? Yes, Raven will help with all food items and Starfire will handle all drink orders. Right, Starfire?"

"Of course, friend Danny. We will be most happy to assist." She sang, making a chai tea latte in a martini shaker.

Danny then made a tactical retreat.

* * *

><p>By noon people were flooding the store to buy a book, a drink (not a pastry, though not for lack of trying), and taking pictures of the Titans working away. Danny figured Fixit would be getting complaints about unfair advertising, thanks to social media, from the other store owners. Especially since Danny's Bookstore never had problems making money before. It wasn't until it was near closing time, the steady stream of customers having trickled down to a remaining few that in came his problem. In fact, several, in the forms of Dash, Quan, Star and Paulina.<p>

He ducked behind the register as Robin greeted them.

"I'm sorry, but the store is about to close."

"Actually, we're looking for a former classmate of ours, his name is…"

"Fentina!" Quan yelled, his football stature not having dulled in the slightest as he bodily lifted Danny off the floor in a bear hug while Beastboy stood next to them in shock, having sought out the halfa to ask why Angelina Jolie wasn't in the book Beowulf.

"It's nice to see you too, Quan. I think." Danny replied finding support by way of a bookshelf, his expression utterly confused. Seeing that he was now free, Paulina and Star stepped forward.

"Yoo-hoo, Danny, do you remember us? Oh, of course you do! But it's been so long! You're even as tall as Dash now!" She exclaimed hugging him close, her shirt as short as ever so that he had no idea where to properly put his arms. Star, thankfully only smiled in his direction before going back to eyeing Beastboy. Finally, Dash stepped forward, his hair as blond as ever, eyes just as blue, and despite now being eyelevel with him, Danny had to fight the urge to not slump his shoulders, hide his strength, no, hide Phantom's strength. For that old fear of discovery, of rejection, being labeled a Freak never fully went away. Danny realized briefly, hating himself for thinking such things. When of all things, Dash lightly punched his arm and smiled.

"It's good to see you've grown, Fenton."

Then Dash turned away and soon Beastboy was showing them to the small café, leaving Danny there in a state of shock, his jaw hanging open and Robin gazing at him curiously.

"You alright?" He asked, jolting Danny back to reality.

"Yes, no…I mean, we were never actually friends, they were good people, minus the bulling and all but,"

It never ceased to amaze Danny how much taller Robin seemed to get when he bristled with righteous anger, even though he only reached the halfa's shoulders.

"Relax, Rob. They're seniors now and a lot can change in a year. Besides, all of them have the worst case of hero worship for Phantom I've ever seen."

With this Robin relaxed some and when they reached the café it was to Paulina asking about Phantom while all of them sat around a small round table, her Hispanic accent never failing to draw others in. She had situated herself between Starfire and Raven: one openly happy, the other, decidedly not. Although to be fair, Raven was also squished in next to Quan who was busy recounting the time he went to a gothic poetry bar and got kicked out. Raven mumbling, 'I wonder why,' which went unheard. Star sat next to him and was busily showing Beastboy something on her phone, causing the changeling to laugh and her to tuck a long strand of pale blonde hair behind one ear. Dash sat beside Beastboy, quietly listening and when he spotted the two of them he motioned them over.

"Paulina's right, Fenton. Where is Phantom, we haven't seen him in over a year and suddenly he pops up in Jump City."

All eyes turned to Danny and his mind went blank before he heard the buzz of a freshly brewed pot.

"Coffee! Anybody want coffee?" He exclaimed. After hearing a chorus of 'yes, and I'd like mine,' Danny fled behind the counter and desperately tried to think of some lies that didn't end with, 'I and Phantom' all in one sentence. And suddenly it felt like high school all over again and wasn't _that_ a wonderful feeling? Pushing aside the sting of remembrance of friends who weren't sitting at the table behind him, Danny got to work on Quan and Paulina's strange tastes.

"So you all are in your last semester of high school?" Robin asked once he was seated by Starfire and reminding himself not to interrogate the civilians when Danny re-emerged caring a tray of stemming mugs before sitting between him and Dash with only the slightest bit of hesitation.

"Yep. We graduate in May." Quan said happily.

"What are you going to do after?" Danny asked, to this Paulina brightened, leaning forward her skin practically glowing in excitement.

"Well, after nearly having my head taken off by my Papa for not wanting to 'run da family business.' I convinced him to let me go to the Metropolis Trade School for Graphic Design and Fashion! And Starfire, you simply must come be my model and oh, ask Star where she is going!" She exclaimed changing topics in a blinding rush, as all attention focused on her, Star fidgeted with her phone but otherwise remained unmoved.

"Harvard. I got in on a scholarship for law and…"

"She's being modest, her scores were perfect! My Papa nearly had a heart attack when he saw mine!" Paulina laughed while Star smiled, pleased with the compliments she received and blushing at Beastboy's praise.

After the laughter died down Danny then looked at Dash, "and what about you two? Where are you headed?"

For a moment, Dash seemed to freeze before a look of steal entered his eyes. "Marines, actually, basic starts after graduation."

"And wherever Dash goes, I go." Said Quan. To this Danny had no idea what to say, be safe? That was an impossibility. Congratulations? Facing the prospect of life and death didn't seem like something to be praise worthy for the risk was so great. And what was worse, Danny had seen that look in Dash before, when Phantom asked him to take action and help. It was there in Quan's eyes as well and it froze him more than his ice core.

Neutrally, Raven was the first to recover, tilting her head down in the knowledge of what they were sacrificing.

"That is a noble commitment."

To this Dash shook his head, "I'm not sure if it's noble but it is our duty, nothing more. After Phantom won and what was left…well, I don't want to see that kind of result be what counts as a victory, as the Guys in White called it."

Those words rung true to all those present and although the Titans sitting around him could grasp most of it, they didn't realize that Danny wasn't seeing his family strapped to the boiler, but all the times he'd asked these four and his fellow classmates to fight alongside him when the ghosts were to strong, when he'd been to weak. He'd asked this of them, both as Fenton and Phantom. Perhaps they had changed. Grown.

"So, where is Phantom?" Paulina suddenly asked and Danny felt the familiar dread all over again. It was then by blessing or a curse that Cyborg stumbled in, looking hung-over but well and not mistaking his friends for kitchen items and food.

"Ugh, Beastboy, so help me, I will…"

"Cyborg! You are alright!"

"Dude! You look awesome!"

Was yelled around the table and without thinking Danny used the time to slip away and change, splitting himself in two, his clone human while Fixit wandered up beside him, raising one deep blue eyebrow.

"They are not foolish enough to turn blind eyes to your similarities when you both stand so close." He said.

Danny took a breath, "I know. But I'll think of something or else they'll never leave!" Danny hissed after having learned that the four friends had travelled to Jump City for their Spring Break for the sole purpose of finding Phantom. Well there were guilt trips and then Paulina's driving persistence that made him fear she might try and stay. So with this the three of them walked in behind Cyborg as Beastboy was furiously apologizing. The second the four high schoolers saw Danny and his clone was instantaneous, all stood up in a rush, the same second Paulina launched herself around his neck, tangling her fingers into his snow white hair was the same instant Dash and Quan both yelled, "shit dude!" While Star simply stood on in a thunderstruck daze. All the Titans decidedly frozen and more than a little concerned.

"Guys, what is the problem? Phantom is, oh my!" Paulina exclaimed making sure to properly swoon into his arms as she gazed at his human clone in shock.

"Danny, you look just like my lovely Phantom! Why?"

"Well, that's because we're…"

"Brothers!" Danny intercepted to save his clone the trouble and with this he pulled away from Paulina to hover beside his human clone, brightening his aura and gazing at the four teens solemnly, yet for the mischievous sparkle that remained in his glowing green eyes.

It was in this moment of inspiration Danny knew what to do, to both explain his disappearance, and often appearance at his human counterparts side, and it would give the four some comfort to know he was not alone. For the deaths of his friends and family hadn't merely effected him, but the town as well. So in a flourish he bowed slightly and met all their stunned eyes.

"I died at birth. Danny and I were twins." He explained while his clone nodded in equal seriousness, as he picked up the explanation, "Freshmen year when I turned on my parents Ghost Portal and shocked myself, it somehow drew my older brother in the corporeal world."

"He could always see me before but now I can interact with the world." Phantom added watching as the four teens accepted this explanation, and the Titans all trying to contain their mirth, Cyborg even needing to step on Beastboy's foot in order to shut him up. Dash suddenly let out a bark of laughter.

"Well that explains how I ended up with all those headaches and my bear collection ending up in my locker." He said looking at Phantom fondly, hero worship still intact.

At this Danny fought the green flush of embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about all that."

Dash easily shrugged and shook his hand before turning to his human clone and held out his hand once more.

"Sorry about all the hard feelings in school?" He asked. For a moment Danny watched his clone hesitate before accepting Dash's hand in one firm shake, "Yeah, I'm sorry about all the pranks. It's not easy controlling ghost powers or wanting to misuse them."

To this Dash laughed, "Hey I deserved it and besides that's what families for." He replied easily thinking Danny was only referring to trying to keep his overprotective elder brother in line. It was then Quan once more swooped in and bear hugged Danny's clone, for an apology to Dash was one for him, since the two were inseparable.

"Thanks man! You have the best brother ever!" He said then in a quiet whisper only for Danny to hear, said "I'm glad you're not alone."

Danny had to choke back the sound of loss as his eyes burned at the corners.

"Thanks. Don't forget to watch Dash's back."

At Quan's promise that he would, mercifully the evening passed quickly and in such a blur Danny only remembered flashes of it. Paulina silently mourning her loss at having to leave Phantom, Dash and Quan telling the Titans stories of Phantom's battles and the evils of school teachers, his clone occasionally piping in while Danny watched Star sneak Beastboy a kiss on the cheek before all four of the high schoolers left, Fixit locking up behind them.

"I think I'm in love." Beastboy chimed, Cy rolled his eyes and once Danny changed back, he shook his head.

"Beastboy, I hate to break it to you. But you, plus Star: jailbait."

"I think they would make a cute couple." Raven interjected before looking at Danny and handing him Paulina's cellphone number, "if cuter then some." She tacked on before walking away with Starfire and Robin, leaving the halfa feeling as if he'd committed some grave sin.

"What did I do?" He finally yelled, both Cy and BB shared a look before singing out "clueless." Then dashing away as he gave chase.

* * *

><p>It was well past midnight when the Titans made their way home, all feeling relaxed and ready for sleep. Cyborg especially, after mistakenly tasting the pot of soup left on the oven by Star. Once everyone was in bed and Star and Danny were all who remained in the kitchen, he began putting away the dishes as it was his turn, and knowing that sleep wouldn't come for a long while, decided to let his mind wander and his hands move through the menial task. Star also stayed as she scooped her soup into a big plastic containers meant for the fridge. As she was putting away the final bowl, both working in compatible silence, Danny felt a question come unbidden to mind.<p>

"Starfire?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you and Blackfire the only ones to use starbolts? I mean the guards had spears and all…Starfire?" Danny stopped drying the plate when he noticed the deathlike paler that had fallen over his friend. Instantly he was at her side, easing her to the ground while she trembled, forest green eyes lost and far away.

"Oh, God, Star, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It is alright," She managed to gasp out, tears gathered in her eyes which she stubbornly refused to let fall. For she had sworn to never cry over this again. Struggling, she leaned back into Danny's chest not seeming to mind the awkward angle as the cabinet drawers dug into both their backs.

"For a time, my sister, my brother and I were held captive by a race known as the Psions. Though they should not be considered among beings for they are heartless and without love. They tested us to our bodies' limits and by the time our armies laid siege to the prison, our parents were dead and the damage was done. Blackfire's hatred only festered and soon after she attacked me, although now I think it was truly out of grief for not being able to protect us." Starfire spoke, her features normally so bright now dimmed in the dark as she wilted. It was not a sight Danny ever wished to see from one who emitted warmth like the sun. And even though images of Jazz made him tremble, he needed to know.

"Your brother?"

"Dead. I found Komand'r mourning in his cell with Galfor trying to comfort her. We never found Ryand'r. May he be at peace with X'Hal."

For a long moment both sat on the floor, Danny moving to lean shoulder to shoulder with her, legs stretched out before them. Danny felt in a numb, only when Starfire took one hand in his, her long fingers pressing gently into the flesh of his inner wrist did he come back, looking at her, waiting for the question he could see burning in her eyes as she stared hard at the pale veins.

"Your skin is cold, like a still stream of water, untouched." She noted absently as if that confirmed something, "Danny, why do some ghosts exist? Will I ever see Ryand'r again?"

She met his eyes and something broke between them.

"I don't know."

Neither of them left their hidden spot on the floor of the darkened kitchen for many hours that night.

* * *

><p>Dawn broke over the horizon, a glowing flame that filled the blackness of his exhausted mind, of the dreaming landscape of the liquid green and endless searching for his sister and family, of something, and almost hazily he noted the color behind his eyelids turn to red, to orange, to yellow, until gone was sleep, and it would be impossible to claim once more. Sighing Danny sat up to the sight of the sea. Never before had he felt such a mixture of joy and sorrow, of contentment and exhaustion, all in one day no less.<p>

For the year after his family had died, the halfa had been only numb, filled with such bitterness he became paralyzed in it. Only the Titans had made him feel anything. First anger, then annoyance and finally acceptance. They'd pulled him out of the terrors he'd constructed and offered him friendship that until now, he hadn't realized had been pulling him back to the living, to being able to relate to others. When exactly did it stop hurting to feel such powerful emotions and not worry about the guilt that always inevitably followed in their wake? Danny couldn't answer that.

Things had changed so much. Since Dan Phantom, since Slade, since Terra. About to consider burrowing down into the covers and not coming out for at least a decade, a knock on the door filled the air. It came again when he hoped it wouldn't, then again, sharper this time until he caved and stalked to the door, opening it with the intention of snapping at Beastboy, who was the only morning lover besides Raven, and with all the strangeness that had been happening he hardly expected…

"Raven?"

Danny said, all insults dying in his throat from where he watched Raven stand, looking nervous. Before he could so much as ask why she'd been ignoring him, threatening him, and overall making him feel like the worst kind of…well he wasn't exactly sure what. She placed in his hand a smooth round jewel, oval in shape that easily fit in his palm that both seemed to capture and radiate light.

The gem stole his breath away. For it felt different from the Earth. It felt like the Realm where his powers were born.

"Starfire and I talked last night." She said by way of explanation, her voice giving nothing away.

"And?" Danny tried.

At his lost look Raven seemed to grow bolder, his confusion a comfort.

"You are more than just a Si'npa on Starfire's planet. You are also like Aroth, the forger of gems for the goddess Azar, giving others strength so she could guide her people to the light while always giving them hope. This is such gem—it has no name to translate to our language. Only know that it is yours. It always has been."

She left then in a graceful twirl of midnight black, leaving Danny stunned, leaning on the door jamb for support as he gazed again at the gem held in his hand. The light of the stars in endless night. Stargazing. For the first time he felt something colder then him brush his core and ease his troubled mind.

The only question was, why? Why had Raven chosen to give him this?

"I really need to stop being so clueless." He mumbled but since he couldn't figure out the Titan known as Raven, he resolved to work that out later as just then the alarm had sounded and hitting something sounded like a _fabulous _idea.

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, I'm back. And must apologize for not writing in such a long time. My life has been throwing curve balls at me left and right. Now, while things still aren't good, I've managed to actually create a schedule and I will do my best to stick to it.<p>

Now, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed and messaged me, making sure that I wasn't dead and while to most I didn't reply, let me say this; "Thank You!"

The encouragement and support has been a much needed boost to keep doing what I love. Also I will be going through and editing my story, so don't freak out if it keeps saying I've updated...it's just me, correcting my errors.

Fun facts for this chapter: Sala is an old Italian word that eventually was borrowed by English and became saloon.

Nemu and Tara are fictional worlds I added to the DC Universe, so don't freak out.

Beowulf is an amazing epic poem of Anglo-Saxon literture and Seamus Heaney was a wonderful translator, and so much more.

Blackfire, Starfire and their brothers history I borrowed from three different timelines of DC and added my own twist. Here, their parents were also captured but died early on, for unlike the siblings they were mature adults. Hence, why they were raised by Galfor.

Raven is having trouble showing her feelings...and apparently has a jealous streak, and deals with it like a little girl punching the guy she likes as a backwards way of saying 'I like you!' Which utterly confuses our halfa.

Aroth is a fictional character of my design. He is a gem master, creating mediation stones and holders of powers used by the goddess Azar.

Thank you for reading and reviewing, because I love to here what you think on my chapter, the good and the bad!

Next Chapter: Terror and Insanity

~Rin


	41. Chapter 33: Terror and Insanity

"_Spare me your judgments _

_And spare me your dreams._

_Because recently mine _

_Have been tearing my seams."_

_~Mumford & Sons_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 33: Terror and Insanity

One of the hardest things about leaving Gotham, letting go of the all-nighters and crime filled chases. Because in Gotham, crime was as busy as hardworking taxpayers going through their days. Yet here in Jump, where criminals would have been working hard, the Californian city was still and silent. So adjusting ones sleep schedule was harder than Robin originally thought. It was also hard to explain to ones friends without making himself out to be insane and or having PTSD. So instead, Robin let his friends chalk it up to his workaholic behavior and the paranoid teachings of his mentor. They didn't need to know that all the horrible rumors were true, and that Batman's cautions were what kept you alive in the nightmarish alleys where monsters were people and all was real. The only one who knew about the truth behind these actions was Danny.

Robin had put that together at three in the morning by going over news clipping articles and emergency calls to dispatch in Amity Park on ghost sightings. He had looked up when the halfa appeared from nowhere and handed him coffee, looked at his research and took a seat.

"Most of those were the easy ones" He said and Robin had nothing to say, perfectly understanding what was left unsaid.

So for the months after they had been kidnapped, when Terra even came to live with them, after the Titans had long since fallen asleep, Robin would sit and watch. After minutes or sometimes even hours, Danny would come and join him. The halfa brought coffee and a different book each night. Robin noted the titles: they were anything from the classics, to sci-fi, to psychology and philosophy, to science and technology. He didn't comment on this oddity and Danny never brought up the old case files Robin had pushed under the seat, making them easy to conceal when a Titan wandered in looking for a midnight snack.

Only recently had Danny's nightly visits dwindled till there were none at all. But Robin couldn't fault the halfa for needing to catch up on sleep as he worked against Brother Blood. Unfortunately, without Danny, there was no coffee or someone to remind him to eat. Still, Robin would never admit to how difficult it was for him to not go out there and patrol the city. To instead, simply sit back in the Tower and wait, and watch.

It was looking to be one of those nights, where Robin would go friendless and caffineless, when the living room doors opened. Spilling hall light into the darkened room with only the shine of the moon and the glare of the surveillance cameras for comfort. Cyborg entered with a yawn.

"You're still up?" He asked slightly shocked but not surprised.

"I've got work to do." Robin answered, never taking his eyes off the screen or the deserted city it was guarding.

"Well, whatever you're looking for it's probably asleep, like you should be." Cyborg replied before yawning once more and pressing his palm onto the security scanner.

"Lockdown initiated, goodnight." He said, the clock ticking to 12:01.

By two a.m. Robin felt the unscratchable itch to be out, jumping from building to building searching for something. Or possibly searching for _him_. With this in mind Robin got up, and descended into the deepest part of the Tower where old paraphernalia of cases long since closed went to gather dust, and the giant room smelt faintly of iron rust that left a coppery taste in one's mouth. The basement. Grabbing a dingy old box from the top shelf, Robin opened it to reveal all that was supposedly left of Slade. Gently, he lifted out the mask as if it might explode, coughing slightly at the dust it stirred, the light bulb overhead flickering haphazardly, twisting the shadows across the expressionless black and bronze metal, when the overhead lights suddenly came on and Robin looked up to see Cyborg descending down the metal stairs.

"He's not coming back, you know." Cyborg said grimly while trying to reassure his friend. "That's all that's left of him." He pointed out, wishing that he'd gone and woken Danny for this, as Robin looked back at the mask. "Nothing but dust."

"We can't be sure. He was never captured, never found."

"It's over, Robin. Slade's gone." Cyborg said but started when the alarm sounded and Robin said 'trouble,' his friend briefly rubbing his chest as they dashed up the stairs and down the hall. Leaving the cracked mask from that horrible kidnapping behind.

* * *

><p>The fight was on the northern most part leading out of the city. The land dense with forests and steep cliffs and rocky terrain, with only one road in and out making it easy to patrol as the police transported top-priority prisoners. But that didn't matter when said prisoner broke out of the vehicle, sending it up in fire and burning metal which Cinderblock tossed around with ease as he roared in rage. He was reaching for left out construction equipment from DALV when a great storm broke open in the sky, pouring down rain on the starved land as the Titans pulled up.<p>

"Phantom, get the injured men out and safe, Star and Raven push him back, and Cy tie him down. BB, you're with me." Robin ordered as the giant stone man threw a chunk of flaming rock at the police cars. The team broke apart, Danny throwing up a green shield as the metal impacted on it, below him a group of men struggled to get up.

"Does anyone require immediate medical treatment?" Danny called, his green eyes straining to see past the down pour, the wind pelting into his skin. One armored arm waved him down through the flaming trees. The water doing nothing to stop its spread.

"Here, it's Jones, he's hurt!" One man called and Danny flew over, icing the area around the fire, trying to redirect it as the other officers regrouped, working to stop it from spreading. Danny pushed away the fact the where the two men were, a puddle of oil was as well. Behind on the cliffs edge, Danny could hear the clash of battle. Raven and Starfire working to push Cinderblock away from the men while Robin and Beastboy circled, keeping the ever growing rage of giant rock distracted.

Danny didn't know what Cyborg was doing but he pushed that aside when he landed beside the two men surrounded by broken branches and riot shields set up to keep the flames at bay. He came to the middle of the makeshift circle as the man named Harrison pulled off his helmet and worked on getting Jones' off, the other man's body half crushed under a fallen tree trunk. The other officers Danny heard calling out, some saying they had broken bones but nonetheless kept working on snuffing out the flames and saving what they could, a cacophonous blast from Cyborg's cannon went off, shaking the ground. Jones let out a repressed scream right as Harrison got his helmet off and Danny knelt down beside the young black-officer in his mid-thirties whose eyes were clouded over in pain.

"Jones, you with me?" Harrison asked, slapping the man's face so brown eyes came into focus and the man took a bracing breath.

"Yes, sir." He replied and Danny leaned forward then, making sure the man focused on him, even as the rain fell into his eyes.

"Alright Jones, may I call you Jones?" Danny asked taking the man's pulse and watching how his eyes dilated from the white blaze of his aura.

"Casey." Jones corrected with a grimace as he unconsciously tried to shift away from the pain but both he and Harrison stopped him. Jones let out a scream.

"Casey, then. I need to move this tree off you but first I need to know what kind of pain are you in. Where is it focused?" Danny asked forcing his voice to remain calm. When suddenly another explosion ripped through the air, the men shouting to take cover and Danny threw up another shield, metal shrapnel flying everywhere and the tree pinning Casey shuddered and dug in deeper as its branches snapped off and Casey gave a sound like that of a wounded creature. Something inhuman and primal that tore through anyone's defenses. Harrison shoved Danny aside so the man would see him.

"Jones, Casey! Listen to me, focus!" He ordered as booted feet running around and gunfire echoed.

"I need you to tell me what hurts, son." The commander ordered and Danny felt his patience straining as Casey tried to breathe before turning his eyes back to the halfa.

"Are you an angel, sir?" Casey asked his eyes only focused on the halfa which were full of hope and Danny managed a choked out 'yes' as the panic in the human's soul seemed to calm.

"I feel warm, sir. In my lungs a stabbing pain."

Beside him Harrison swore and rushed to the EMS teams' side as they stood at the edge of the shields watching. Danny took a breath and took Casey's right hand in his.

"Alright, Casey. I'm going to turn you intangible and push the tree aside, can you tell me what your blood type is?"

"It's A positive, why?" Casey asked right as the coughing started.

"Because we're going to the emergency room." And in a second, Danny let his power flow in and down into Casey before rolling the tree and the rung of metal of the officers suit that had snapped off and been shoved up into the under plate of armor and into the soft organ fell out and let the green teleportation energy swirl and take them.

They landed in the middle of the emergency room at Grace Hospital, with Casey bleeding out on the floor as Danny phased off his armor, the doctors and staff swarming them. Questions firing off, faster than shots.

"His name is Casey Jones, blood type A positive, and his left lung has been punctured along with broken bones along his left side, possible internal punctures and no, I'll lift him." Danny said centering his power, levitating the officer onto the bed before moving back and letting the doctors take him. Danny got one last look at the man before he teleported back into the rain where Beastboy was calling him to help, Cyborg finishing binding Cinderblock with Raven and Starfire, Robin nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah?" Danny asked the changeling, who was busy helping two officers into the ambulances.

"Robin was thrown over the cliff, we're going after him."

They found Robin in one of the forest clearings, staff imbedded three feet into the ground as rain matted down their leaders' hair, the cold air turning bitter and biting.

"Um, not to rain on your parade, but where were you?" Beastboy yelled looking miserable, sullen, and drenched all in one, as Raven used her power to keep herself and Star from getting any wetter.

"We had to fight Cinderblock by ourselves and…_achoo!_…great, now I've got a cold." He griped, snuffling into his sleeve.

"Slade, he's back." Robin answered, pocketing his staff as he walked up to the team, gazing hard at Danny before turning to face Cyborg.

"You sure it was him?" The mechanical teen asked, "The dude fell into a pit of lava, who lives through something like that?" He pointed out. Not mentioning Robin's tour of their basement.

"Apparently, Slade can survive it." Raving cut in.

"If Slade is back, why now? What's his plan?" Danny asked, noting the teams' skeptical looks and Robin's aggravated movements.

"He's going to create a massive earthquake and we have three hours to stop it. Cyborg, check out the bridge, Raven take the park, Beastboy the pier, Starfire and Danny are with me. Let's move."

In the next flash of lightening and roll of thunder, the team was gone. Leaving only the three alone. Starfire watching Robin in worry and Danny telling himself not to do the same as Robin paced a few feet away.

"So, I'm guessing you've seen him act like this before." Danny said and Starfire gave a curt nod, "Yes, the last time was when he became Red X," She said before Robin called Danny over.

"Yeah?" The halfa asked, looking at the other teen whose black and red appearance almost blended in with the shadows.

"Is it possible for Slade to be a ghost?" Robin suddenly asked, surprising Danny.

"I'm not sure. How a ghost is born isn't something I really know about. I mean, it could be possible but aside from me and Vlad, I've never met any ghosts who hadn't been dead for anything less than thirty years tops."

"But it is possible." Robin stressed turning to face him and Danny felt himself hesitantly nod.

"I suppose, why, what's happened?"

At this Robin looked uncertain a hand coming to rub his red chest plate.

_ 'Already out of breath?'_

The words echoed like poison in his veins.

"Slade, when we were fighting; one moment he was here and the next gone, in the blink of an eye. He was unnaturally fast."

_ 'Don't tell me you've gotten soft?'_

"He said he freed Cinderblock as a distraction in order to hide the fact about placing bombs on our cities fault lines."

Danny regarded Robin for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, what do you want me to do?"

"Go to the Ghost Zone and talk with your allies, we need to know if he is a ghost."

"And in the meantime?" Danny asked hovering off the ground.

"Starfire and I will go after him."

With this Danny flew away but not before flying past Starfire, "watch him." Danny whispered letting his concern show and Star briefly met his eyes before nodding in agreement and Danny flew off. Yet that only made Starfire worry even more as her and Robin walked through the puddle filled grass.

"Robin, you need not fear. We will capture Slade." She said, trying to blink out the raindrops.

"We have no choice."

She heard him say before his communicator went off and Cyborg's voice reached them.

"Robin, I'm at the bridge."

"Did you find the seismic generators?"

"Man, I can't find nothing. No signs of anything unusual." Cyborg answered from where he was trying to take shelter under the bridge.

"Nothing here either." Raven cut in.

"I got bubkiss." Beastboy said before sneezing, turning into three different animals.

"They're there. Keep searching." Robin snapped before slamming the yellow device closed, a growl in his voice that Starfire had never heard.

"I told them exactly where Slade put the generators. I should have gone to find them myself." Robin hissed, tossing the comm. to the ground and stalking off. This was something Star had never witnessed before and as she bent to pick up the device, Starfire felt an emotion she couldn't name but it filled her with unease.

"They will be found, Robin. You must have faith in your friends." She said, only Robin heard none of this as he shot forward disappearing into the trees. Chasing a man who made his bones ache and his muscles burn. Robin skidded to a halt in a low valley with Slade standing at its center.

* * *

><p>The swirling of the clouds looked like lightening as Danny flew through the murky greys and blacks of the Far Frozen Lands, ice sleeting from the sky in a way that made Danny grateful for his ice core. Though unlike the downpour happening in Jump, here the storm was gentle even with the ice. Danny stopped outside Frostbite's door and rapped twice, waiting for the lights to come on and an angry wolf yeti to answer the door.<p>

"By my ice claws, this had better be…Great One!" Frostbite exclaimed before hastily inviting Danny inside and putting a pot over the fire, a computer humming in the background.

"What can I do for you?" Frostbite asked taking a seat across from Danny, who tried to ignore the fuzzy nightcap on his friends' head, off-setting the simple red robe messily clasped to the gold coil.

"I'm sorry for waking you but I have some questions to a real problem." Danny said getting up to pour the coffee in ice mugs at the teapots whistle.

"Go on." The yeti said and Danny took a hearty sip of the scalding liquid before beginning.

"I need to know how ghosts are born." He rushed out.

At Frostbite's choke, Danny realized he should have phrased that better.

"Not born, born. I know how that's…no, what I meant was 'made.' No, that sounds impersonal, what I mean is…"

"Peace, Great One. You wish to know how we come into existence." Frostbite finally managed and Danny let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes."

At this, Frostbite sat back in quiet contemplation, gazing at the flickering flames.

"Well, as you know Great One, our dimension is one that is ever changing yet seems to follow no set laws. We have no worlds but places like the Frozen Lands and Pandora's Palace are created here in our Zone. We born in this place. To humans, you call us Ghosts or Spirits but what we really are is beings. As real and as complex as any human or animal in your dimension on Earth."

Danny let out a breath and nodded his head, letting his friend know he understood. Frostbite swirled his coffee and continued, "However, our Zone also seems to take in those of other places, other times lost or destroyed or forgotten, these places became known as the Foundlings Lands for it is a place ever changing, ripe with rich-green ectoplasm and also where your parents' portal opened up."

"And the…beings that come through our portal?" Danny asked.

"They are what would be defined as manifestations, spirits. The ecto-puses, your enemies such as Skulker, Ember and Desiree to name only a small few."

"How are they different from you and Pandora?" Danny asked leaning forward.

"Because Great One, though they can harness and use ectoplasm to their advantage, if left to long without it, they would break apart and become unstable unless they find a new source of energy. Why do you think Ember or Spectra always seek human life energy?"

Then in a show of power, Frostbite opened a paw to show a blue swirling of ecto-energy the soothing cool radiating familiarity with Danny. The halfa knowing that the energy only belonged to his friend. Frostbite smiled a fangy grin. "While we, Great One, can produce this energy freely and as it grows, so do we. Eventually, are powers mature and we stop aging altogether."

"Well, that explains how Pandora looks so young despite being thousands of years old." Danny said causing Frostbite to laugh before sighing sadly. "Of course there are beings like us who also desire the warm life energy given off by Humans and others in your Zone. They are Nightmare, Undergrowth and Pariah Dark to name a few."

"And ghosts like Kitty and Jonny 13, how are they born?" Danny asked wanting to distract Frostbite from the shadowed look on his face.

"Ah, yes. Ghosts such as them are born from traumatic deaths and violent emotions. They cannot move on and sometimes they end up here. We don't really know why or how, it simply happens every once in a while. I am sorry I cannot give you better news."

"So…falling into a pit of lava after viciously fighting your sworn enemies, wouldn't classify as ghost making material? Would it?" Danny asked waiting in silence for Frostbite to answer and the yeti gave an undignified snort.

"I'm afraid yes, however it would take decades for such a ghost to manifest in our Zone and there would be little they'd remember from the old life." The yeti said and Danny felt the knot in his stomach loosen.

"So Slade hasn't come back." Danny breathed in relief yet Frostbite only tilted his head curiously.

"That is not the only answer you seek."

For a moment Danny hesitated, terrified to know the answer before he steeled his nerves, "And what kind of ghost am I?"

To this Frostbite beamed, "why, you are one of us! A being born completely from our Zone, if not in an unorthodox way. Great One, the day you 'died' in your parents ghost portal was the day you 'lived,' you can exist in both Zones simultaneously. You truly are the first of your kind. A halfa."

Frostbite praised, his blue eyes beaming while Danny's mouth fell open in surprise. "But, what about Vlad Masters? He was a halfa before me? By like a good decade."

The Lord of the Far Frozen Lands let out a scoff, "Him? No, Great One. A powerful ghost Vlad might be but he was born of rage and disease, he is only a ghost."

"The ecto-ecne." Danny stated and Frostbite nodded.

"Yes, it was a slow and painful process that spread like a cancer in his cells but the more his bitterness grew the more his powers did and the faster he continues to die. But there have been rumors lately that Masters has managed to cure himself of his aliment and if that is the case then his form will stabilize and…"

"He'll be like me." Danny finished, his mind flashing back to their last fight. Of seeing Plasmius break into a thousand light particles traveling so fast Danny could barely keep up. Before Danny could truly start worrying, Frostbite placed a comforting paw on his shoulders that nearly engulfed him.

"Do not fear. For if that is the case then you have something he does not. Youth. Your powers are still growing and a kind core nurtures strength, whereas bitterness creates only power in dry soil." Frostbite spoke.

"Thank you, Frostbite." Danny said before what had been nagging at the back of him mind became clear and focused, making him shiver in dread.

"What is it?"

"If Slade isn't a ghost, then how did Robin see him?" Danny asked before standing and giving Frostbite a quick hug.

"Thank you, again, I need to go."

"Of course, come." And the two headed out, flying to the science center towards the infinity map.

* * *

><p>Danny emerged from the portal into a torrential downpour in the middle of a field with Starfire staring straight ahead, a dazed look in her eyes, one hand gripping her arm.<p>

"Starfire? What's wrong, are you alright? Where's Robin?" Danny asked panic making his head spin as he reached for her, checking for injuries and when Starfire stirred under his cold touch, Danny felt a strong surge of relief.

"I am unharmed, Danny." She said and he breathed a sigh, "Way to scare me into another death, Star. Now, where's Robin?"

At this a pained look overcame Starfire and Danny knew they were in trouble. The team met up on fifth and main, Cyborg and Raven and a miserable Beastboy already waiting as Danny and a quiet Starfire touched down onto the pavement.

"Did any of you find the seismic generators?" Danny asked and Cyborg shook his head.

"No, and I've run a complete sweep of the cities seismic faults and come up clean. Either Slade has some fancy new tech or…"

"The generators aren't real." Raven finished, lowering her soaked cloak, beside her Beastboy let out a pathetic sneeze as he turned into a goose and back.

"Where is our fearless leader, chasing down Slade?" He asked although he sounded muffled and distant. Starfire shifted uneasily before meeting all their eyes, "I am not so certain Slade is behind this." She said.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked as Star folded her arms across her chest.

"Robin, has elected to search on his own."

"Huh, why?" Beastboy snuffled.

Starfire only closed her eyes when she felt Danny place a freezing hand on one shoulder and she met his comforting eyes, even though she saw how confused and worried they were as well. And the dam broke in her as everything came rushing out, pleading for them to understand.

"I tried to see him, I truly did. Robin said he saw Slade, but when I looked, I could not. I have never seen Robin so angry. So angry at me." She admitted.

The team all watched as Starfire seemed to wilt then, like a crushed flower and Cyborg stepped forward his face grim and set in hard lines.

"Let's go find Robin."

It was the only thing he said before turning on the GPS to their leaders' tracker and he turned to the sewers. Before they dropped down, Danny stopped and gently tugged at Star's wrist.

"It isn't your fault, Star. It never was." He said firmly noting her guilt ridden features and torn expression.

"But I…" She started, "Did nothing wrong." Danny cut in, "It doesn't matter if Slade was or wasn't there. If you couldn't see him then there was nothing you could do to stop him. And Robin should never have taken his anger out on you, got it?" Danny said hoping that Star would understand. Because he needed her to be alright, to not be defeated. Because that isn't the Starfire he knew. And though Danny knew it was selfish, asking her to be immovable even though the person she most loves just tore her to shreds. Danny also needed her to be strong for his own sake, otherwise he too might break. All of this passed in seconds, Starfire watching Danny as she processed everything he told her while he observed too the fire in those forest colored eyes return and blaze.

"I do believe you, Danny." She finally said and she watched as some of the tension left Phantom's shoulders, his blazing white aura turning to a soft glow and she realized that Danny had been worried, nervous even and Star couldn't but smile at that as she took to the sky and flew down into the manhole, Phantom following right behind.

"Come, we need to catch up with the others." She said both following the sounds of Beastboy sneezing.

* * *

><p>Robin kicked down the rusted doors to Slade's forgotten hideout. The broken gears massive piles of rubble and rust. Pipes jutting up like the speared bones of some dead monster. The whole place reeked of metal and stale oil and horrid memories. Robin could still remember the feel of cold wall at his back while Danny had screamed, the halfa's body convulsing in pain as electricity surged through it. This was a place Robin had never wanted to see again and he felt its claws gripping around his heart and entrapping him, making his chest constrict and force his breaths into shallow pants.<p>

Slowly, Robin ascended the metal throne, one black gloved finger pulling away an inch of dust from it, when in the broken screens that had at one point displayed the very lives of his friends, Robin saw a shadow drop from the ceiling and he whirled around, his heart fluttering faster than a hunted animals.

"Stop!" He called, coming to an empty floor space, a broken catwalk above him, the only lights faint streams filtering down.

"So, here we are again. The old haunt, just the two of us." That voice taunted.

"Slade, show yourself, come out and fight."

"Relax, Robin. I'm not going anywhere." Slade said standing on one gear precariously balanced atop one massive pile. Robin felt his blood boil as he struggled to reach the top, the gears giving the second he stood up, and Robin yelled as he fell, narrowly avoiding debris and in a twist and roll he avoided being smashed by the clock face. As he lay on the ground, Robin felt his breaths catching as his stomach burned.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" The twisted voice said fondly and Robin surged to his feet, "I only remember how much I _hated_ you." He snapped.

"What I remember is that you couldn't _defeat_ me. At least not all on your own. Always sacrificing the one to save the many. Tell me, how does it feel to hold that power in your hands, exhilarating isn't it?"

"Shut up!" Robin snapped walking further into the wasteland of broken machinery, locating the circuit switch, the lights exploded overhead as soon s they turned on, Slade appearing a short distance away.

"Or perhaps you still feel guilty, sacrificing Danny like you did. After all, he's so willing to help and you're just twisted enough to keep using him." Slade whispered stepping forward further into the shadows and Robin followed everything in him burning.

"That's not true, Danny knows the risks as do the rest of my team. I could have asked anyone of them too…"

"But you didn't." Slade interjected, his voice resounding from behind and Robin twisted as the lights temporarily blinded him before the man reappeared.

"How are you doing that? Why couldn't Starfire see you?"

"I believe you are familiar with cloaking technology. But let's not change the subject. You knew Danny would accept the mission, just as you knew the risks. Less then ten percent of success, correct?" Slade asked and Robin stumbled in shock.

"How did you…"

'_I've gone against worse odds, Robin.' Danny said in the Tower, the sun setting, white gauze wrapped firmly around his midsection._

_ 'Still, if anything goes wrong, I'm pulling you out.'_

"I bet you promised to pull him the second things went sideways. But you didn't and now he's in so deep you're not sure if you can really trust him."

"That's a lie!" Robin yelled and he charged at Slade, his mind clouded in rage and he knew with certainty that Slade would beat him down even before the punches landed. When he hit the steel of the catwalk with blood in his mouth, Robin knew he was in trouble.

"Come now, Robin. You should never let your emotions rule your mind. That's not the way to defeat someone like me." Slade chastised moving around the patches of light, his booted feet in Robin's sight.

"But you already know that. So you'll do whatever it takes to bring people like me down, even sacrificing Danny, again." With that last word, Robin let out a feral cry and charged at Slade, taking more blows than he gave.

"You're wrong! I would never give up my friends!" He screamed throwing Slade into the light. When the man disappeared again, Robin felt his breath stutter and his feet falter.

"Robin?" A familiar voice said and Robin turned to see Danny materialize in a swirl of green energy, his glowing green eyes wide with worry. Slade nowhere to be seen.

"Slade," Robin said, looking around widely, searching desperately for the man.

"Robin. He's not a ghost. I don't think he's here." Danny spoke, stepping forward as Robin gasped for breath.

"No, he's here. I fought him!" Robin snapped rubbing his eyes against the blazing white of Phantom's aura.

"Robin, Slade's dead."

"No! He knows about you and the mission."

At this Danny seemed to tense. "I don't know what you're talking about."

But Robin wasn't listening as he shoved Phantom away, "I have to stop him!" He said nearly repeating it when it came out as nothing more than a wheeze. Danny turned intending to follow when Robin froze and pointed to nothing.

"There he is!" As quick as Robin lunged forward, Danny was quicker as he reached around and locked Robin in a steel embrace, the teen thrashing in his arms.

"Let me go, Slade!"

"Isn't there!"

"He's cloaking himself, then!" Robin screamed, his legs kicking out uselessly as he tried to find leverage to break Danny's hold.

"Then why can you see him and I can't?"

"Because you're human." Slade suddenly whispered, stalking closer a serrated knife in hand that Robin knew was identical to the blade Terra had used. "Shall I kill him to prove my point?"

"No, let me go!"

Danny let out a scream as Robin pressed a button on one black gloved hand and ten-thousand volts surged out and into him, Robin barely had time to draw his bow and defend them both from Slade's attack as Danny fell to the ground. Slade ruthlessly striking at Robin, throwing him around like a rag doll when he heard his teammates enter. Beastboy asking about miming as Slade suddenly pivoted, rushing to finish Danny off.

"Slade!" Robin screamed to his friends who all gasped and Starfire sent up one starbolt, Slade disappearing into the shadows and the Titans surveyed the damage.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be finding the generators!" Robin snapped in agitation.

"I don't think there are any generators, man. We looked everywhere."

"Slade must be cloaking them, just like he's cloaking himself." Robin replied, striding forward.

"But why can only you see him?" Starfire asked, stepping forward.

"Because I'm human." He answered as if it were obvious.

"Then that means Danny saw him as well." Raven replied, Beastboy walking over and kneeling down beside the unconscious halfa, checking the teens pulse.

"He's okay, only knocked out." The changeling confirmed.

"Slade did that?" Cyborg asked skeptically, looking to Robin who was almost twitching where he stood, switching his balance from foot to foot.

"No, he had me pinned as Phantom and Slade was coming to kill us so I shocked him."

"What!"

Robin flinched in guilt as everyone yelled, Cyborg looking beyond angry.

"Dude, you know electricity is bad for him! What were you thinking?"

"Slade was coming! I had to stop him!" Robin yelled. How could they not understand that?

"And no one's in here but us!" Cy shouted back, moving to pick up the now human Danny.

"I don't have time for this." Robin growled out as he headed for the exit where Raven and Starfire still stood. "I have to find those generators."

"There are no generators, there is no Slade! I sent Danny on ahead to help you when we heard you scream. Instead we enter from the _only_ entrance and find out you just shocked your friend for nothing!" Cy yelled, his voice hard and accusing and Robin turned to face him, "I know what I saw! I have to stop him and if any of you get in my way, I will take you down!" He screamed, pulling out a birdarang, aiming it directly at a stunned Cyborg when Robin let out a pained scream, a starbolt slamming into his back before he passed into oblivion, Starfire standing grimly over him.

* * *

><p>Danny awoke on a couch outside the Towers medical wing, the other four Titans locked in a heated debate, Robin nowhere to be seen, until he remembered what happened.<p>

"Ugh, I can't believe he shocked me."

"Danny!" The other Titans exclaimed, moving around him as Cyborg checked his vitals.

"Are you alright?" The mechanical teen asked as Danny changed back.

"Yeah, I've been electrocuted before, Cy. I'm fine. How's Robin?" He asked rolling his stiff shoulders as he sat up and looked to his friends who had gone strangely quiet.

"What?" He asked.

"We had to restrain him." Raven said pulling up the video screen to show Robin hooked up to machines while he slept on the hospital bed in a set of full restraints.

"Why? How bad did he get?" Danny asked as Raven switched it off. Beastboy snuffled then answered, "You mean aside from bar-b-queuing you? He threatened to take each one of us down."

"I was required to stun him." Starfire stated in a stilted voice.

"What are you doing now?" Danny asked.

"I'm running multiple tests to figure out what set him off." Cyborg replied.

"How about Slade?" Beastboy suggested as he sneezed and turned into a parakeet.

"Slade is the effect, not the cause." Danny said.

"Well, his blood work is clean, his heart rates elevated and his adrenaline is higher than normal." Cyborg said, "But there's no toxins in his blood."

"Wait, Robin's been having trouble breathing all night, if anything it's like his body is panicking." Danny said.

"But he's been angry." Beastboy said and Danny shook his head, "Not angry, irrational, afraid. _Paranoid_." Danny said in realization, "It's almost as if he's going through an extreme case of PTSD. Cyborg check his neurological pathways."

Cyborg was about to begin the scan when Robin's entire body seemed to go into overdrive, "His vitals are off the charts, most people can't survive this kind of stress!" Cyborg said before Robin's heart flat lined and the Titans all rushed into the room to see the restraints torn off and the bed empty.

"Whoa, and I thought I didn't like going to the doctor's." Beastboy said.

"But where is Robin?" Star asked, picking up the electrodes.

Before they heard shuffling in the vents and Beastboy changed into a humming bird and promptly slammed into a metal panel as it closed off the vents, others falling over the rain drenched windows and doors.

Raven rushed to the computer, "He's activated the quarantine protocol, nothing can get in or out."

"We shall see about that!" Star growled before throwing a starbolt and everyone screamed as it ricocheted around the room until it dissipated against Phantom's shield.

"Careful, Star." Cy said even as she beat against the doors.

"We must find Robin!" She pleaded, her fists trembling as Cyborg gently pushed her aside and started sawing at the door, while Danny moved to the computer console, pulling up codes to try and override the system. As he worked, Raven crossed her legs and began to float.

"What are you doing?" Beastboy asked.

"Finding Robin, azarath metrion zinthos." Raven said, her eyes turning pure white as a blackbird soared from her form and through the air ducks to where Robin was. Entering his mind was dizzying. It was a cave full of bats and a circus tent strung high with a trapeze and two graceful figures. It was Slade on the monitors and Robin panicking, telling her to leave.

'_Robin, your heart. You must remain calm, trust me, Slade isn't here. He's not in the Tower.'_ She said but Robin continued to struggle, images flashing so quickly before her, Raven marveled at how Robin kept so in control. Only he wasn't. Not now.

'_No, he's here. He's real, I've seen him.'_

'_Then let me see him, through your eyes.'_

She asked and in three deep cleansing breaths, she opened a pair of eyes that somehow she knew where sky blue, clear and perfect for flying. Spring. Or like a robin's song. It was something inherently known and Raven could feel it as she looked around the air duct the fan casting shadows. Robin's consciousness a warm blaze in the back of her mind, brushing hers as if they were shoulder to shoulder. Waiting.

'_See, Robin. There's no one here.'_

'_But …I could have sworn,'_ He trailed off, the impatience leaving him.

'_There never was.'_ Raven said only when she looked into the darkness did she feel Slade's fist connect with her jaw. Throwing her out and hurtling back into her body.

"Slade!" She called, sitting bolt upright as the others gathered around her.

"You saw him?" Cy said in disbelief.

Raven let out a huff of frustration directed only towards herself. "I don't know if he's real or not. But he's real to Robin and that's all that matters. The stress on his brain is destroying his body. Robin truly believes he's fighting Slade, and Slade's wining."

* * *

><p>He was down in the basement again, on the stairs and Slade beat into him every one of his failures and no matter how he tried he couldn't get away.<p>

"You always knew it was going to end this way." Slade said in a matter-of-fact voice, "the guilt of enjoying the power. The thrill you take out of it, sooner or later would bring you right back to me."

"You're wrong." Robin groaned as a kick to his ribs sent him over the rails and onto concrete.

"Am I?" Slade taunted his form flickering like laughter as the light overhead struggled to stay on.

* * *

><p>"Robin, I can feel him. He's slipping, he's not going to make it." Raven said her eyes wide in panic.<p>

"I got it!" Danny cried as he dashed forward, pushing an empty bed out of the way.

"Star, there's an emergency safe here, a strong controlled force can lift the metal free." He said circling to the other side.

"We can get to the floor below if we lift it out." Cy said as he double checked the marks Danny made on the floor, destroying the floor around the safe before both Titans lifted it up and out. Starfire didn't even blink as she burned through the ceiling below it, heading straight for Robin.

"Stop." Robin pleaded.

"No, Robin. I won't stop, not ever. I am the thing that keeps you up at night. The evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I will never rest and neither will you."

"My friends say you're not real." Robin gasped his chest burning as if he couldn't breathe.

"Oh, I'm very real, would you have gotten all those bruises from someone who wasn't there?" Slade pointed out.

But Robin's mind was clearing even as his chest constricted, "all these bruises and you don't even have a scratch." He realized the memory of Slade running past Starfire, disappearing at a lightening's flash.

'_There was no one there.'_

'_There are no generators.'_ _Cy said. The man never appearing when in Phantom's light._

'_Slade's dead.'_ Danny had said, his aura one of softly glowing white. It was only that calm when the halfa was completely sure of the truth. Of what was real, and only then did Robin know what was going on.

"You're only in my mind, in the dark. My friends are right, you aren't real." Robin said as he reached for the circuit breaker as Slade tensed, "I'm real enough to finish you." He hissed lunging but Robin pulled the switch as he collapsed into Star's arms, Danny and Raven right behind her. Cyborg and Beastboy at the foot of the stairs.

"Robin." She cried and the teen faintly smiled, "it's alright, Star." Robin managed before unconsciousness claimed him.

* * *

><p>Back in the medical wing all the Titans were gathered around their leader, looking at the monitor.<p>

"Looks like Slade had one final trick. His mask had a chemical reagent that infiltrated your central nervous system."

"The dust. It made me see, hear, and feel Slade even though he wasn't there."

"And the more you fought, the more harm it did to you." Starfire said.

"And anybody else who got in the way." Raven added before Danny elbowed her in the side.

"Scan says you're all clear now though." Cy suddenly added to avoid an argument.

"Well, just to be sure." Robin said getting up and flicking off the lights before he looked around the room, the others watching, the only sound the pitter patter of rain outside. With a sigh, Robin flicked back on the lights.

"I've been fighting Slade for so long. I guess it's hard to just let it go. But sometimes I feel like I'm the only one still looking for him, the only one who can stop him." He admitted.

"Robin, you are never alone." Starfire said.

"And if Slade really ever does return, we'll be ready." Cyborg promised, "We've got things covered here, why don't you get some rest." He said and Robin gave him a grateful smile before opening the door.

"I'll go with you," Danny added walking up to him, "zapping someone like a bug tends to take a lot out of you." He said noting the way Cyborg's shoulders seemed to relax as they both left the room. But that was something he'd worry about later. They hadn't even gone half way when Robin stopped.

"I'm sorry."

"Robin," Danny started.

"No, listen. I can't let you do this, it's too dangerous and I promised myself that I wouldn't…"

"Robin!" Danny hissed stepping in front of his friend, "enough. Please, stop talking. I can't lie to the man, and in order not to I have to be able to tell the truth." Danny said running a hand through his hair before looking back at his weary friend.

"Robin, I forgive you for what's happened. It's not your fault."

At this Robin felt the guilt burn through him.

"But I swore I would never sacrifice you or anyone ever again."

"You haven't. After all, I chose to restrain you when you went after Slade." Danny started pausing for a short moment, icy eyes clouding over in memory, "I let you go when you electrocuted yourself. I also chose to protect you when you were attacked with a knife. So any guilt you're feeling is ridiculous, so snap out of it or I'm telling Cyborg you watch reruns of Desperate Housewives." Danny finished smiling and Robin couldn't help but laugh even though it hurt.

"Fine. I understand, even if these memories really suck." He said letting the halfa know he understood.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Robin said stopping at his door.

"Night." Danny called as he headed to his own room because he had someplace to be in the morning.

* * *

><p>The grass was soaked and muddy and Danny could feel the water seeping into his shoes and chilling his feet as he stood by an old tree surrounded by headstones, watching the funeral procession from a far.<p>

"A shame when one so young dies." Vlad Masters sighed charismatically as he stepped forward in a black suit that made Armani seem cheap.

"His name was Casey Adam Jones." Danny ground out as he continued to lean on the tree watching the men and women in uniform lower the coffin into the ground.

"Casualties of war I'm afraid, little badger." Vlad said, checking his watch in a board fashion, the sunlight catching his grey hair and making it shine. It was a strange sight, as Vlad seemed to glow like a fallen angel while Danny's crow black hair and pale skin seemed hidden like the moon. Except for the way his ice blue eyes shone clear and harsh.

"I know what you did. Activating the mask's remote sensor."

Vlad looked up from his cell and gave Danny a positively mirthless smile, "Why, Daniel, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. But I heard a rumor that the teen wonder became deathly ill. You should really do something about the cleaning. Dust in that giant Tower must be such an annoyance." He said his blue eyes clouded and grey and malicious and Danny shook with rage as he stood up straight, nearly eye to eye with the man.

"Come after them again and I will _end_ you and no one will suspect a thing." Danny hissed his eyes glowing green.

Vlad met them with burning red, "that sounds like a threat."

"No, it's a fact."

"Does Robin know he's a pawn and you the King? After all, the Titan is so guilt ridden." Vlad sneered happily and Danny wrenched away as if burned. His shoes making squelching noises as they sank into the puddles. Stiffly, the younger halfa turned away, leaving the shade of the tree, his shoulders tense and back ram rod straight. If anyone had been looking they would have seen Phantom not Fenton at that moment. So much so that Vlad couldn't resist one final shot.

"You are becoming more like me every day, Daniel." Vlad nearly sang, watching as the teen faltered in his step before disappearing through the gates of the graveyard and around the bend. Vlad smiled the whole way back to his limousine and never saw the silver lily resting on Colonel Casey's grave.

* * *

><p>AN: Hi everyone, I'm back! First off, thank you for all your reviews and messages, it means so much to me! Now for some fun notes on this chapter:<p>

1) I left it as EMS (emergency medical services) instead of EMT's.

2) I'm dealing with the inconsistency in Butch Hartman's DP world where he said that the ghosts were actually mysterious creatures from some dimension that us humans probably mislabeled as the Ghost Zone. However, there are instances where humans who die become ghosts such as Desiree or Ember etc. but then ghosts such as Wulf, Frostbite, and Pandora who are greatly different seem to be apart of the Ghost Zone in ways completely unique. So yeah...deal with it!

3) Since in this timeline Danny's family and friends never die the episode where Vlad infects Sam and Tucker with ecto-echne never happened. Instead Vlad himself finds the cure, honestly who hard is it to figure out the strange ingredient was coke a cola?

4) Also since Danny's body was fully submerged in ectoplasum he is technically the first halfa created. Vlad was only partially exposed, think radiation poisoning only without dying. Which for me in the original story line with the cloning Dani episode is why Vlad needed Danny's transformation gene to stabilize the perfect clone.

Lastly, the next chapter will be completely original and the Titan episode Spellbound will follow. But trust me, it's going to be a very important chapter! As always, I hope you Enjoyed it and Review!

Coming Up: Nightmares

~Rin


	42. Chapter 34: Nightmares

_To Burn..._

"_I give my body to kings; but I hide my deceit in dreams."_

_~Rin_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 34: Nightmare

It had been three days and people were dying and they were chasing down shit leads, Jason realized as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Batman ahead of him, grim and scary as _fuck_. Making moments such as these unbearable to wear the new Robin suit. When his red and dark green uniform weighed him down; also, it really made Jason crave a cigarette. Something Alfred would kill him for doing, while Bruce would glare or give Dick a call and his brother would then proceed to give him the guilt trip from hell and no, just no.

So, no matter what, he was screwed. As were the thirteen people Crane, a.k.a. 'Scarecrow,' put into the hospital, all of them raving mad. The victims all trapped in nightmares, which apparently, if you died in them, you stayed dead. An eleven year old girl had been the first victim, she'd been staying at a friend's house for a slumber party. She died thirty minutes ago, the last of Batman's antidotes failing.

Worse still, nothing seemed to be able to slow Crane's new toxin, hence why they were currently dashing across the Narrows at a dead run, Crane probably hightailing it off the planet with how pissed The Bat was. They stopped at a warehouse and peered through the fogged glass. Down into the lab below where Crane seemed to be scrambling about, searching for something. His brown knit mask hanging off his face like a pale ghost.

"Wait, here." Batman ordered, "Hack the computers once the goons are taken care of." He growled, which more or less seemed to reverberate through the air and Jason wondered how on earth Bruce did that.

"How do you figure I do that, boss?" Jason asked and Bruce stepped back and jumped forward, shattering the glass and going down. The screaming and gunfire started almost immediately. Jason wondered why the idiots even bothered.

He was about to follow down when the shadows seemed to move, the motions to fluid to be one of Crane's men. Before he even realized it, Jason was up and following in a heartbeat as he heard the crazed psychologist scream below.

Jason only had to catch sight of the figure in a sliver of moonlight for him to know who he was chasing. Instantly it had him pushing his limits, pulling out a sharpened disk, aiming it at the teens back with practiced movements.

He threw it, watching as it sailed and was sliced in two by a katana so thin it appeared unbalanced, the sword being sheathed as quickly as it was drawn. The ninja pulled up short, regarding Jason with a blank sense of curiosity, prompting Jason to stop running and grin a bawdy grin.

"Shadow, you know, for a ninja you sure suck at staying hidden." Jason taunted watching as the older teen tilted his head to one side, ice blue eyes terrifyingly cold. One hand pocketing something.

"Perhaps I wished to be seen, kid?"

Jason bristled at that, "shut up. You're under arrest and I'm asking nicely, _please resist."_ He begged and somehow he knew the older teen was smiling.

"_Fine." _

Suddenly, Jason was extremely glad Lucius—no, sorry—Mr. Fox, had improved the Batman and Robin suits to be lighter and faster. Because _shit_, Shadow could move. And the teen wasn't pulling his punches. Not like last time, when the teen had the audacity to sneak into the old JLA headquarters and steal data, no this time Shadow was aiming to damage. To hurt.

"So much for venting my frustration." Jason growled, dodging a blow that would have left him benched. He twisted, and put all the force he could into kicking the teen's side, feeling bone give. Not enough to break, but it would sure hurt like a bitch.

Right when the younger of the two Robins was really starting to get into the fight, Shadow suddenly jerked away, heading towards the edge of the roof.

"No way are you getting away." Jason hissed, when in one last —albeit stupid move— he lunged forward, and tackled the teen from behind. Shadow letting out a shocked noise, the two going down onto the pavement, roiling around like a couple of children until Shadow actually had to shove Jason away before diving off the edge and disappearing into the darkness.

Jason sat up and groaned, "What rattled him?" He asked rubbing his jaw from where Shadow had elbowed him.

"I did." Bruce growled, landing with a slight thump (a testament to how pissed off he was) stalking forward to glare over the edge before turning that same glare on Jason, who felt he was entirely underserving of receiving _the batglare_.

"What?"

"I gave you strict orders, Robin."

"Yeah, and if I'd followed those we'd have nanta." Jason retorted, grinning up at Bruce while holding out a small vial. Which the Bat took and pocketed and Robin hopped up from where he was sitting, figuring it was probably safe to move.

"So, am I off the hook?" Jason asked, Bruce's only response was to step off the building's edge and into the batmobile that had just pulled up.

"Show off." Jason grumbled but he none the less hopped in the car.

It wasn't until they were illegally driving through the streets of Gotham that Bruce gruffly said, "Good job." Then promptly went back to ignoring the world.

Jason counted it as progress. When they pulled into the cave, Alfred was already waiting for them, the aging butler calm as always.

"Hi, Alfie!" Jason called, as he pulled off the Robin mask and dashed forward, "We found something. Well, I found something but semantics." Jason said as Bruce strode past, lowering the cowl.

"We're running out of time." Bruce said, "And Crane pleaded that he knew nothing about the side effects his new drug would cause. He said he was being used."

"Strange." Alfred admitted, smiling fondly to Jason as the two of them followed behind Bruce, who held the vial in hand.

"I take it that is what Master Todd was referring to?" Alfred asked, when he received no answer from Bruce, turned to Jason.

"Huh? Yes, jeez, why am I always the spokesperson?" He questioned.

"Because being The Bat has certain requirements, one of them is to never give away facts until absolutely necessary. Dire even." Another voice answered and Jason and Alfred both turned to see Dick descending the stairs. His black hair shorter but still spiked, his uniform darker then Jason ever remembered seeing. And his sky blue eyes held an air of seriousness to them that had not been present six months ago. In short, his older brother looked like a younger version of Bruce in the making, which was all sorts of creepy coming from the normally cheerful acrobat.

"Ah, Master Grayson, welcome home."

The leader of the Titans sighed, hugging the butler tightly, "Alfred, how many times must I ask that you call me by my name?" Dick asked and the white haired man smiled.

"At least once more." He replied and Dick chuckled before turning to Jason, those eyes lighting up in pride, "Hey lil'bro, so what's this I hear about you besting Shadow?"

Jason beamed, his chest swelling in happiness and although their world seemed to be going to hell. That wasn't anything Jason couldn't handle.

"Yeah, I kicked his black ninja _ass_."

Dick burst out laughing while Alfred had to restrain from rolling his eyes, instead, settling on a sigh. Jason on the other hand felt himself relax, watching the tension in the sixteen year old fall away.

"That doesn't surprise me. By the way, sorry about missing your birthday, here," Dick said holding out a rectangular package, carefully wrapped in dark green paper that had crisp folds and a black bat on it. Jason felt his throat constrict at the sight but he coughed to cover it up and tore into the package with exuberance.

"Holy…. Please tell me these are for real?" Jason said, taking out the throwing knives with reverence. The blades holding a faint blue glow. Dick merely smiled and handed Jason the sheath, "Yep. Alfred told me you'd been practicing, so I made you some. I interlaced the blades with ghost fighting material so they're lighter but still durable." He said watching fondly as Jason spun the knives then throw them into a target some distance away. The metal embedding itself easily into the wall behind. Proof of the younger Robin's strength.

"Master Todd!" Alfred exclaimed and Jason beamed, "what?" he said looking completely unrepentant to the butler, who seemed to be trying to decide if he should praise or scold the thirteen year old for such recklessness. Dick only smiled and took a step away from the butler in case he decided to turn his ire on him.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought being the leader of the Titans took up all your time?" Jason asked and Dick was about to answer when Bruce stepped forward, the same serious expression on his face as always.

"I called him. Alfred, please run this vial through the mass spectrometry, it's not showing up on the scans."

"Of course, Master Bruce." The butler said, taking the vial and disappearing into the lab.

Dick watched him go before turning back to his former mentor.

"You know, if you keep scowling like that your face will get wrinkles."

To this Jason snorted to cover his laugh, "that's what I keep telling him but he won't listen. And I'm telling you now, women won't dig the brooding billionaire-playboy thing."

As both Robin's smirked up at Bruce with identical expressions, the man had to fight the urge to snap at them for acting so lighthearted. Instead, his shoulders dropped by a millimeter and he let the corners of his mouth loosen.

"Focus you two. Dick, I called you for the information you've gathered on ghosts and manifestations. Specifically, how they can affect our world."

"Alright, but why now?" He asked as the three of them gathered around the main computer console. Bruce pulled up a screen where hundreds of articles, genetic codes, science reports, and news sightings of seemingly random attacks all appeared. Dick's mouth went slack at the sheer mass of information.

"You see what I have to deal with." Jason whispered before the Bat continued.

"As you know, the number of ghost sightings has gone up by twenty percent and it continues to rise. Three months ago a criminal known as Shadow broke into the base under Happy Harbor and stole the schematics for the JLA's newest ghost shields and weapons database." Bruce said not even looking at the keyboard or screen as he pulled up the surveillance, the teen in high focus.

"Tonight, Scarecrow claimed Shadow stole the vial containing the antidote to the latest of his nerve toxins which has caused one death and put thirteen in the hospital, with more teens coming in by the hour. Crane might be psychotic but he wouldn't lie about this."

"And why is that?" Jason asked frowning. Bruce merely pulled up the cameras showing the man in a hospital bed clasped in restraints.

"He wouldn't have used it on himself. After he collapsed the only word he kept repeating was Nocturne."

"That ghost who attacked Gotham a year ago?" Dick said surprised and Bruce nodded.

"I'm guessing the teen uses his skills for hire. What do you know about him?"

"Other than when Shadow helped us escape from Brother Bloods headquarters, not much. I haven't seen him since." Dick answered.

"Then we'll worry about him later. Right now I've placed Wayne's satellites in orbit to scan the city for any ghost activity. Once we locate Nocturne, we'll imprison him and send him back into the Ghost Zone. After, we'll track down who Shadow is working for." Bruce said pulling up the real time feed of the city and Jason let out a low whistle.

"So that's the modified tech Danny 'gave' you." Dick said not being able to stop the slight anger from creeping into his voice at Bruce's blatant disregard for the time the Justice League had imprisoned his friend. Jason elbowed Dick in the side and the Titan knelt down so his little brother could whisper in his ear.

"Don't worry, we're working on expressing remorse and apologies next." Jason said in a cheeky tone that made Dick smile, his eyes alight in mirth.

"What are you working on now?" He asked.

"Common courtesy."

Bruce pointedly ignored his two birds as they both broke out in laughter. Choosing instead to focus on Alfred as he walked up.

"It seems Crane's story checks out, this vial contained the counteragent to his new drug, it seems to raise the bodies' temperature, triggering a massive immune response while effecting the part of the brain that controls movements inducing a hyper-jerk thus awakening the patient. After that the ectoplasum in the body is broken down and passes through the system naturally."

"Wait, ectoplasum? What exactly is in Crane's new toxin?" Dick said in shock as Bruce asked Alfred to send the vial to Lucius for mass production, the butler already saying it was done.

"His usual concoction that places the body into a panic induced and hallucinogenic state, only there were large amounts of adenosine interlaced with dormant ectoplasum, that when introduced to a host through aerosol form activates, spreads through the host, and once Crane's poison makes the person pass out form fear, the ectoplasum works to keep the victim asleep until they die."

"What?!" Dick said in horrid shock, "how's that possible?" He growled to himself as the three prepared to leave, the satellites zeroing in on a historic mansion near the outskirts of Gotham. Which meant it was completely run down and made Jason's skin crawl as he hopped in the back of the batmobile, Dick going to his motorcycle.

"So, when will I get my own wheels?" Jason asked to the back of Bruce's cowl as they sped through the tunnels.

"Focus, Robin." Batman growled while Jason heard his big brother snort into the comm. link.

"How about next year?"

"Really?"

"No." Bruce interjected as both teen snipped back and forth.

* * *

><p>Danny dropped down into the old mansion with quiet ease. His ice blue eyes having no trouble adjusting to the nearly pitch black room. With his hand on the hilt of his katana, he navigated the halls until coming to the living room. If one could call it that, the place was big enough to house over one hundred people comfortably. Only now it was saturated in sickly green light from the Sleepwalkers who floated about. Staring at him with blank, unseeing desire, it made Danny skirt around them as he headed to the sun room where Nocturne sat.<p>

The ghost of dreams gazing up at the night sky, white energy flowing into him, and he in turn released a dark blue aura from his jet black hands into vials of poison. Sighing, a blissful expression came over the ram's face. It made the blood in Danny's body run cold and he could feel the terror of nightmares try and lock him in illusions. He hissed suddenly when a stray walker crept too close at sensing his distress, and Danny's sword was out in one smooth motion, decapitating the beast.

"It is not wise to do that, Shadow." Vlad Masters said stepping out of a dark corner and Danny turned to give him a small bow.

"Forgive me, it will not happen again." He replied lilting his voice as he heard Nocturne chuckle.

"Leave him, Masters. My children's deaths are of little consequence, for they are a testament of my growing strength."

"I take it then that the drug is working properly?"

To this, Nocturne opened his blood red eyes and hummed in contentment.

"Yes, I can feel my poison taking root with each drug induced sleep. So many addicted teens, such horrifying nightmares. They are truly delightful, even you child," Nocturne said turning jewel eyes upon Danny, "I can taste your fear even through the shields you guard your mind in." the ghost said, floating forward in a robe of stars and Danny could feel a haze settle on him, as if he would fall into those stardusted arms. Danny was lost in that red gaze. A cold hand squeezing his neck.

"I want nothing more than to devour you." The fanged beast said.

Danny wrenched away when Vlad stepped between them, grinning while he raised his palms to placate the being.

"Come now, it wouldn't be professional of me to let my associate lose his apprentice simply to state your hunger." Vlad chided while Nocturne moved away to resume his tasks. Danny caught his breath as Vlad turned eyes full of false concern on him.

"Are you all right, my boy?"

_I'm not your boy, _Danny thought as he shoved down his revulsion at having been saved by the older man and gave a low bow. "Yes, thank you, sir."

Vlad gave a proud smirk and looked back to the ghost.

"How much longer will it take?"

"Not long. Soon I will have enough power for my Sleepwalkers to go forth and spread my poison over the entire city and then I will devour it all into the realm of nightmares."

"And I will finally be able to locate the bat's cave and put a stop to that man's blasted meddling in my affairs." Vlad growled low in his throat and Danny felt proud that Robin's mentor was putting such a dent in the fruitloops life, especially when the halfa couldn't do it himself. Danny jolted when he heard Vlad address him.

"Shadow, were you able to retrieve the vial from Crane's lab?" the man asked and Danny shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, the younger bird who is always by Batman's side managed to take it from me." Danny answered and Nocturne gave a yell of rage before he whirled around to face the ninja, and struck him in the chest with midnight ectoplasum.

This time, Vlad only gave a glancing look as the teen crumbled to the ground.

"You foolish mortal! That vial is the only thing that has the power to stop me! And you lose it to a child?!" Nocturne raged. Striking once more and Danny bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to muffle the cries. When it became apparent that he wouldn't scream, Nocturne turned away his starry robe fluttering in agitation.

"It matters not, soon I will be strong enough to cover the whole city in my poison and by then there will be nothing anyone can do."

Danny had only spit out the blood and struggled to his feet when the entire building blazed with glowing blue light and Nocturne let out a piercing scream. The windows shattering inwards as Batman and his two Robin's rushed in. A strange gas filling the room making Danny feel buzzed and strangely hyper while he pulled out the Dragon's Gale to deflect the bo staff that Robin used, the teen noting that his blade seemed to be glowing dully as the Sleepwalkers dissolved into mist.

"What the hell?" Danny said, and the older Robin smirked through his gas mask.

"Not exactly." And he charged, leaving Danny to feel of kilter, his head swimming as he fought the Titan who nearly succeeded in taking him down while trying to get to Masters. The gas in the room was dispersing and Nocturne was screaming in rage and pain as he fought the dynamic duo. Yet Danny couldn't focus on that, for Robin had managed to sweep past him and charge at Masters who stood calm in the corner a dark shadow behind him.

Before anything could happen to his friend, Danny was vaulting through up into the air, sheathing his sword as the familiar charge of lighting surged through him. In a twist, he landed in front of Vlad whose eyes widened at the ninja in front of him, and Danny released a burst of electricity from his palms into the Titans chest. Sending the teen back five feet as they heard Nocturne give a final cry before being sucked into a black ghost thermos.

"We need to go, Mister Masters." Danny said drawing his sword as the younger Robin ran at them, blades dropping into his hands. Vlad seemed to shake off the strange look in his eyes and in a bored fashion surveyed their predicament.

"Yes, I suppose we should."

With a snap of his fingers a clone of Plasmius appeared who prepared to teleport them away, Danny having to fight not stabbing the black gloved hand that gripped his shoulder. When the younger Robin growled.

"Oh, no you don't!" And threw two glowing knives. It was an automatic reaction, Danny moved and caught the blades, rotating them in the same motion and flinging them back to Robin, knowing full well that they would miss the younger teen by centimeters. But from another's perspective, it was quite different.

"Robin!"

Before black energy swirled them out of sight, Danny caught sight of his Titan friend lunging in front, right as the blades sank home.

* * *

><p>Jason felt horror grip him as he watched Dick stumble into his arms with two blades protruding from his shoulder blades.<p>

"Shit! Br…Batman!" Jason called, lowering his big brother onto the ground as the teen winced through his black domino mask, the lines of his red suit growing darker.

"I'm fine, little wing." Dick said attempting a smile that turned into a grimace as Bruce strode over, glare firmly in place beside the Titan, Dick noticed Jason squirm guiltily.

"What happened?" Batman ordered and Dick sighed in frustration as his wounds were examined.

"I saved little wings life." He snapped before hissing as a blade was pulled from his shoulder only to be replaced by pressure.

"That's not what I asked." Bruce snapped, the second blade came free and this time Dick couldn't contain his scream, beside them Jason paled before seeming to break down.

"I'm sorry, I aimed that attack at Shadow. He was getting away and it was meant to incapacitate him and the ghost beside him so that you could take them on and apprehend Masters. I didn't know he would be able to catch them and throw them back!" Jason pleaded his hands nervously rubbing together as Bruce scowled at him.

"That was a possibility you should have considered. Always assume the enemy can out maneuver your weapons. If Robin hadn't anticipated it, you would be dead."

Jason seemed to flush at this, his eyes falling to the ground, body taunt, and Dick let out a growl as he stood up being careful not to move his arms.

"Batman, relax. He made a mistake, nothing I didn't do at his age and a ton of stuff I know you're grateful he hasn't done. Besides, at least we know my blades work the way I wanted them too."

Jason shot the Titan a grateful look before hearing Bruce give a indecipherable grunt as he turned away, heading towards the car parked outside the mansion in the grass.

"Let's go, you still require medical attention."

Dick let out a sigh and shot Jason a comforting smile, "good job, little wing. I'd ruffle your hair, but my range of motion right now is pretty shot." He said as he watched the younger teen shoot him a glare, "like you could catch me, golden boy." The Titan raised a curious eyebrow at the nickname but still accepted Jason's help getting back into the batmobile. When Dick was strapped in he suddenly realized the problem.

"Wait, my bike!" Dick said whirling around to see his brother grinning like the chesire cat.

"Don't worry, I won't crash it!" The younger Robin called, waving the keys he'd pickpocketed from Dick's belt in the air. As Bruce sped back to the cave he pointedly ignored the holes his oldest charge was attempting to burn in the back of his cowl.

"You already taught him how to ride a motorcycle?" Dick hissed, no longer sounding like the carefree acrobat or apprentice to the Batman. He sounded like the leader of the Titans and Bruce wasn't sure if it was a good change.

"In fairness, he already knew how to ride them due to his time living on the streets." Bruce justified. It didn't impress the Titan at all.

* * *

><p>Danny was kneeling in front of Brother Blood as the man ranted about the failures of the growing generation and specifically, him.<p>

"Of all the things Shadow, to let yourself be beaten by a child. I cannot fathom what must have been running through your mind for that horrid slipup? Your grades, what you wanted to eat, girls? It better not be your hormones." Blood said whirling around on him with a panicked look and Danny was extremely grateful for his mask as he shook his head.

"No, sensei." Danny answered as Blood let out a frustrated yet relieved huff and turned to Vlad who was gazing at the scene with a sense of amusement and curiosity.

"Forgive my pupil, this is the first time such a failing has occurred and understand, he will be dealt with, strictly." Blood answered to Vlad who hummed never taking his eyes off the teen.

"Oh, do not worry yourself too badly. Shadow handled himself admirably and I still managed to get more information than I anticipated. Tell me, how long has he been able to produce lighting?" Masters asked looking back to Blood in innocent curiosity. Danny silently begged Blood not to fall for that false mask. Yet the man with wispy white hair only sighed in exasperation, flitting his hands around as he went to grab a glass of wine.

"Oh, for a about six or seven months. Shadow tried to hide it from me since it has the ability to stop his heart but I wasn't about to let that possibility stop my pupil from progressing." Blood chimed motioning for Danny to rise, he did so, quickly darting into the shadows behind the man so he could watch Vlad give a smirk the teen knew all too well.

"Hmm? It must be difficult developing such a painful power. Well, I know a thing or two about fire cores, it applies to ghosts but…call me if you're ever in need of a teacher." Vlad said, his eyes burning red before he disappeared in a swirl of ecto-energy.

Danny felt himself stiffen from Vlad's words. Had he realized it was him underneath the mask? It didn't really matter and soon it was far from the human's mind when Brother Blood strode forward and a clawed hand gripped under his chin forcing his eyes to meet blood red.

"Now, Daniel, tell me everything that transpired and all that you thought."

Danny felt his body give a violent tremble, pain lacing every synapses in his mind, forcing memories to rise up unbidden to the forefront and he found himself opening his mouth to answer, his own eyes a clouded red.

"I carried out my mission as asked. I served Vlad Masters and retrieved anything he required which included stealing hospital records in Gotham and the vial of antidote from Crane's lab. I lost it to the younger Robin who works with Batman. The child taking me by surprise, he actually tackled me from behind to get the thing. I thought he was only trying to hold me until Batman arrived, like last time, but apparently not.

When the mansion was attacked by the trio, I fought the Titan leader utilizing my lightening ability in order for Mr. Masters to escape as he teleported us away. But not before the younger Robin threw throwing knives at me. I redirected them to go over the child's shoulders but the other one, the Titan, jumped in front of them. From what I could tell, he'll live."

With this, Brother Blood released the teen, and Danny stumbled back gasping for breath, sweat beading his brow, eyes icy blue once more as he undid the ties of his mask. Letting it pool around his neck, showing a blackening bruise. Blood had a thoughtful frown on his face. "Why did you simply not kill the bird?" He asked watching carefully as Daniel's eyes flashed, a countless number of emotions crossing the teens face. Before settling on resolve that Blood knew came from the teen struggling not to lie to him now that he was free of his control. It made the old man's heart swell in pride.

"I couldn't kill him. I don't think I'm ready for that, or to be hunted by the Batman my entire life." Danny said after a moment, visibly shuddering and Blood grinned at that, pleased with his apprentice.

"You will, one day. However this will put you back from meeting my longtime friend Ra's Al Ghul, and I so wanted him to be the one to perfect your swordsmanship." Blood said in disappointment, Danny raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"We will add four more hours to your training session and I expect you to work on teamwork with the Red Huntress and Bumblebee now that I've taken them on as well, understood?"

Danny bowed, "Yes, sir."

"Good, then I will see you bright and early in training room three. The others are being renovated at the moment." Blood said dismissing Danny shortly after.

The now human teen beat a hasty retreat, winding through the halls being built, the construction being done by robots. Danny ignored them, choosing instead to take the halls with the least, he'd had more than enough of mindless drones for the day. Feeling exhausted, but knowing that sleep would elude him. Danny opened the door to his room and stepped inside, shutting it with a press of his palm before leaning against the metal.

Valarie looked up from cleaning her weapons to gaze at him in worry and surprise.

"Danny? I thought Blood had you living in the city?" She said getting up to greet him with a hug that hurt his sides. Danny hugged her just as fiercely.

"I may have been called back after screwing up a mission." He said, running a hand through black hair and feeling it snag in messy tangles. Valarie momentarily looked panicked as she noticed the bruise lining his neck.

"Blood didn't…" She trailed off tugging the outer part of his shozoku down to get better access to the wound and Danny held his palms up.

"No! It was a ghost called Nocturne who did that, and Batman and his two birds ended up capturing him in a thermos, so my guess is we won't be seeing him for a while." He explained moving out of her embrace with the sole intent of getting into the steam shower for the next hour or so.

Valarie however, looked unconvinced and frowned, "Danny, I don't like this. You're putting yourself at risk." She said ignoring the way her heart fluttered as he untied the belt at his waist before barring his chest. Jeez, she'd forgotten how clueless he could be. Just because they hadn't _done_ anything and they shared a bed didn't mean that she didn't…_fantasize_ about him. As Valarie's face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet at that thought, a frown overtook Danny's face.

"We've been through this Val, I'm not doing anything riskier then what you're doing." He growled, the Dragon's Gale coming to rest on the desk. Valarie crossed her arms and glared.

"I'm not the one already being sent out on missions by a…the Headmaster." She caught herself saying, instead of madman.

Danny met her eyes, his own chips of ice, "that doesn't matter." He hissed.

"Doesn't matter?" Valarie's scoffed, striding forward to glare up into those eyes, "Danny, that's the only thing that matters. Look at what you're becoming?!" She snapped before gripping one of his hands and raising it to their eyesight.

"Can I still trust you? Are you still Danny? Are you still Fenton?" She accused, yet pleading, and Danny recoiled, trying to jerk away from her. But Valarie's grip was stronger than the weapons she carried, leaving Danny to force away the phantom sensations of trying and phase his arm free. Even though he knew such a power no longer resided in his body.

"Let go, Valarie."

"Or what?" She countered.

Danny didn't know. He didn't know what to do, and at that moment he wilted, his whole form sagging and he rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

"Valarie, please, can we not do this tonight? I'm tired, I just want to take a shower and sleep before I have to wake up to four extra hours of training….well, today." He admitted, turning his eyes to see her own golden ones staring at him in openness. Emotions he couldn't name swirling in them, yet Val quickly masked them and she dropped his arm and stepped away.

"Fine. But don't think this is over, Fenton." She mumbled and Danny smiled fondly and gave in to the urge to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't think this means I'll surrender." He shot back before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door. Seconds later Valarie could hear the sounds of rushing water before she sighed in worry.

"Danny, what aren't you telling me?" She whispered, touching her still tingling forehead from those slightly chilled lips.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ouch<em>."

"Really, Master Grayson," Alfred tutted, "if you don't like stitches, then I suggest you avoid being target practice to throwing knives." The butler said as he finished tying the knot to the thread before handing the Titan a loose shirt.

Dick only rolled his eyes and pulled the large hoodie on, well he tried, Alfred had to help him with that as well.

"It's not like I was actively looking to get injured, things happen. It was either me or Jason and of the two of us, I picked myself. Comes with the territory of being a big brother." Dick said smiling as said teen walked in, sea green eyes glaring.

"That's a stupid rule." Jason said before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Bruce wants to see you, let's go."

With a quick nod to Alfred, Dick hopped off the examination table and followed after Jason as the two descended into the deepest parts of the cave.

"Um, where are we going?" Dick asked after they passed the lakes of water, the waterfall no longer being heard.

"Well, after apprehending Phantom and 'borrowing' his information, Bruce really started digging into the whole ghost tech stuff and well…he kind of built, this." Jason said pressing a button that opened the wall of rock to reveal.

"A Ghost Portal?" Dick exclaimed walking in. It was the only thing in the lead lined, ghost proof room. Besides Bruce, who was busy typing in codes and activating the portal. Yet Dick noticed as the room became encased in green light, a shimmer of white swirled in front of the ecto energy, Bruce empting the thermos into the Ghost Zone before closing the portal once more.

"Why?" Dick found himself asking as he walked forward to the older man who was no longer wearing the cape or cowl.

"Why not? Unless you planned on keeping Nocturne in the thermos, which isn't designed for long term containment. This allows me to study the Ghost Zone indefinitely and nothing can get past the iris I installed." Bruce answered handing over those design specs to Dick before he even asked and Jason snorted at the Titans stunned face. But before the young teen could give a witty retort, his wrist watch beeped and Jason let out a disgruntled noise.

"I completely forgot, I have a science exam today that I didn't study for!" Jason groaned before whirling around and racing out of the room, missing Bruce's exasperated frown and Dick's fond smile.

"I seem to remember that if I did something like that you'd bench me till I made up the exam, one that always seemed to be ten times harder." Dick said eyeing Bruce who didn't so much as flush in embarrassment.

"You were my first ward. Of course I'd have high expectations. Plus, those tests kept you from swinging around on the chandeliers and bringing Alfred down on both of us." Was his reply that he seemed to be sticking to.

It brought a smile to Dick's face. "So the whole second child thing is true. Even the infamous Batman isn't immune to it." He said smugly.

Yet no remark came and Dick looked up and froze at the look on Bruce's face, the one that said he was far away, thinking at speeds the Titan couldn't hope to keep up with. It both infuriated him and awed him.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Dick." Bruce said and the Titan froze, and he found himself stumbling.

"What makes you say that?"

Bruce turned his eyes on the Titan and saw the eyes of the detective break him apart before they returned to normal, and Dick was staring at the man who'd raised him since he was nine, once more.

"When by my, Alfred, or Jason's sides, you unconsciously relax, you willingly step aside to my leadership. A thing that wouldn't have changed so soon, regardless of the fact that you've led the Teen Titans for more than a year. You were too angry at me when you left, to reckless."

Dick wanted to protest to this, but found that his throat wasn't working. And Bruce didn't give him the chance to speak. "But, when you fought alone, when you think I can't see, your face hardens, your shoulders straighten. And I can tell you haven't been sleeping well."

"How?" Dick demanded, glaring to cover up his fear. Bruce met him with a look and Dick found himself rolling his eyes, "Right, Batman."

The corner of Bruce's mouth kicked up at his ward's grumble before he placed one hand on Dick's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I don't know what you're planning, but know that you can always come to me for help. You've never been alone. You will always have a home here."

Dick looked up at that, he could feel the honesty burn in those words and it made his heart squeeze in painful warmth.

"I know. But you don't have to worry so much either, I've got a strong team and they're what make me great." He stated and Bruce smiled.

They walked back to the main cavern in companionable silence, the massive console awash in blue light and code, endlessly scanning over Gotham, filtering reports from the Justice League, compiling data over the Ghost Zone that Bruce would go over later, and countless other tasks.

Bruce walked over to get a cup of coffee and raised an eyebrow in surprise when Dick handed him his cape and cowl, his own black domino mask firmly in place.

"You'll want to put this on." He said, Bruce did so and felt the air chill seconds before in a swirl of blue energy, Phantom emerged looking more than a little nervous.

Batman gave Dick _The Batglare_.

"Robin." He growled yet the Titan only smirked, even as the ghost next to him seemed to be contemplating if should raise a shield around his friend.

"Relax, Phantom doesn't know where we are."

"Yeah, why'd you make me portal hop through ten portals? Do you know how hard that was to explain to Frostbite and then the Infi-map? I got lost _twice_ and had to teleport to Clockworks for help. He's the one who opened the portal." Danny groaned, a green flush to his ears at remembering the amused expression the Ghost of Time had leveled him, the double doors already open in welcome.

"Really? You got lost?" Robin said surprised and Danny's eyes flashed a brighter green.

"Yes, finding this place wasn't easy and I feel horrible for imposing on Clockwork. I don't want to think I just use his place for convenience since he knows everything." Phantom snapped, seeming to forget the still ticked off mentor standing in front of them.

"Robin…" Bruce started again his growl deeper and he noted in satisfaction the way the ghost teen hovered further away, his charge however only grinned cheerfully up at him. A smile so bright, Bruce momentarily forgot why he was mad, as an image of Dick ten years old flashed across his eyes.

"Oh, relax, we're leaving. Tell little wing that if he wants, he can have my bike as well." The sixteen year old said as Phantom settled beside Robin and wrapped one arm securely around the teens waist, careful not to jostle Dick's injuries as if he knew to be wary, power flowing around them both and Bruce watched as they hovered into the air then disappear into a swirl of power the hand of a clock taking them away.

They hadn't even landed in Titans Tower before Danny was apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened but are you okay?" Phantom said, floating in front of Robin, worry in his glowing eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just took some knives…"

"Knives?!"

"Shush, yes and it was my fault next time I'll be more careful." Robin said but Phantom seemed to have tuned him out, a frown furrowing his brow. Eyes intently focused on the Towers glass, and the reflection he cast.

"Hopefully there won't be a next time." He said, hand coming to rest on the small device behind one ear.

As Robin headed for the living room he secretly hoped so too.

* * *

><p>At HIVE Academy, Danny sat on the tiled floor in the shower. Steam fogging the air in thick clouds, the water burning hot as it raced down his back from his curled position on the floor, head on his knees. The steam curled around in dizzying heat, making it impossible to focus on any one thought. So to all prying minds, it would appear as if Danny were dreaming.<p>

The images so strange and twisting to appear disordered, seeming to hold no relativity or purpose. It would drive anyone but a wanderer insane and kept Danny safe. However, no one was listening, so he could be that lost shadow. Danny could see Robin, with blades embedded in his back, to Starfire handing him the jewel Raven had given him. Dash and Quan, Star and Paulina, all sitting around a small table. To Casper High, the dream catcher in Mr. Lancer's classroom, doomsday scratched across the board.

All of these things swirled like the fog around Danny's mind, some moving, and others still lives. It made him nauseous. Slowly, Danny breathed in and stood up, nearly collapsing as a wave of vertigo crashed upon him. Managing to catch himself on the towel rack, Danny gripped his head.

"You can do this, Fenton." He whispered, feeling the freezing brush of ice rush through his veins. Taking his hand away from the small device, Danny shut off the water, wrapped a towel around his waist, and whipped the condensation away from the mirror in long streaks till he could see his face. Only to him, snow white hair and glowing green eyes gazed back.

"I don't give up."

Alone in mind, Danny stepped inside Fenton works. His home. And heard Robin's voice, "Project Endgame: phase two, now active."

* * *

><p>AN: Hi everyone, I'm back! I hope finals and exams are going fine and that you all are starting to enjoy summer. First off, I want to say thank you to all the reviews I received, the good the bad and my favorite the critique's! No seriously though, you all make my day! So keep it up! Two, onto the fun facts about this chapter:<p>

1)Ra's won't and the Justice League won't be showing up anytime soon or Batman and Robin(Jason), I simply wanted to point out how my story is fitting into the DC universe(s) along with the Teen Titans and the Danny Phantom Worlds. Plus, I also wanted to show you a little of what Vlad Masters is up to! (evil grin)

2) Danny is now split in two again, and I wrote the end to show you how he's handling keeping 'who he is,' separate from 'what he's doing.' A thing all spies or operatives working long term covers have to go through. This is basically how he's dealing with the stress.

3) The ages in the story are roughly this: Jason Todd is 13, Beastboy is 14, Dick Grayson aka 'The leader of the Titans' is 16, Raven and Starfire are roughly 16ish, Danny and Valarie are around 17 or 18, Cyborg is 19, and Terra died at the age of 15. About a year and a half has now passed in my story...this is how I'm trying to keep track of time.

Lastly, when I started this story...I think in high school, I did it so I could practice the art of story building. I needed the practice, so like any great jazz musician will tell you, I took two great ideas, stole them, and now I'm starting to make them my own. (No seriously, that's how you learn jazz. Learn the theory then transcribe your favorite solos from your favorite artist, pick up three or four of their patterns and play them till you own them!)

That's why the first half of this story is so slow and a little cliche, but honestly I wouldn't change it for the world, and thank you for putting up with my work from the beginning! I also nearly cried in happiness when a couple reviewers said that they loved how I built my story up! (I was at Panera's and needed to use a napkin to whip my eyes XD )

Anyways, as always, Read, Enjoy and Review!

Next Chapter: Love, Spells, and Dragons

~Rin

Also, the quote at the top of my story is from the book I'm writing and would one day like to have published so if you want to use it, please just give me credit for saying it and dropping me a message!


	43. Chapter 35: Love, Spells and Dragons

_Who do you think you are?_

"_Your poems were so clever I never saw your mask,_

_You gave your heart so freely, I could not even see,_

_It wasn't you who smiled right back at me."_

_~Elizaveta _

Titans Phantom

Chapter 35: Love, Spells, and Dragons

Raven was perusing the shelves of books in Clockwork's library, her eyes wide in awe. She had finally worked up the courage to ask Danny if she could visit the Ghost of Time again, and after the halfa had stopped blushing and promptly said she didn't need his permission to visit, and after she'd given him a rather pointed glare, Danny said 'sure' and promptly transformed into Phantom before teleporting them to the ghost portal.

Currently, he was with said Ghost of Time while Raven wandered the maze of books from all of time, and throughout the worlds. Raven was glad Danny hadn't been here to see her nearly smile like a child in a candy store. But this place, it was breathtaking, already she had two stacks of books in her arms and she hadn't even gotten past the first ten rows that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. Finding a decent place to sit, Raven opened up the first book on spells and started reading.

* * *

><p>Danny floated idly in the air, watching Clockwork go about checking to make sure each clock was working properly even though the ghost already knew if they were or weren't. For each, he would stop, open the glass, fiddle with the gears inside, reset the clock facing, smile, and then move on. It was confusing to the other ghost.<p>

"I find it best when time takes the more natural course." Clockwork answered and Danny gave a soft snort, crossing his black and white gloved arms.

"Then why choose to answer my unasked thought?" Danny asked quickly putting on an annoyed tone for fun.

"It saves time." Clockwork immediately shot back, giving an amused look as Danny broke down laughing.

"Right, so how have you been?"

To this the young ghost shifted to that of an old man, "I have been fine, I will be fine and I am fine. And no, I did not cheat by using my powers to observe what you were or were not going to ask." Clockwork finished before he started twisting the dial on his staff.

Danny frowned slightly, "You know, I forgot how much of a pain it is to talk to you." He said, doing a lazy loop in the air before hovering closer to the ground. With a thought, the full ghost landed on the smooth stone and made his way up to Clockwork.

"You may float if it is easier, Danny." Clockwork said gently.

"I know. But if I don't walk I'll forget to when I get back to the Tower." Danny answered. It was the truth. Now that he was once more split, as Phantom, Danny found that for the most ordinary things he had to exert mental control in order to accomplish everyday tasks. Such as walking, remembering to breathe (that had been a close call when Beastboy had found him napping on the couch), and even eating.

"I don't suppose you can tell me when I'll be whole again?" Danny asked, and Clockwork had the immense satisfaction of watching white brows furrow, "uh, I mean 'half' again. Never mind." He eventually grumbled.

Clockwork chuckled and placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. "I am afraid, answering a simple question regarding my life is vastly different then foretelling your future paths." He said, the rebuke softly hidden in the reminder.

Danny felt his face flush green before he sighed and looked away. "I know, sorry."

"It is alright. Now, I believe your friend Raven is almost done with my library. Perhaps you should go meet her?" Clockwork replied watching the mischievous light return to those glowing green eyes.

"You're horrible, Clockwork." Danny laughed, but nonetheless he took off down the hall flying at top speed.

Danny found Raven fairly quickly, dropping down from a shelf to hover next to her in a seated position. Raven nearly dropped the book she was putting back on said shelf when she finally noticed him.

She glared as Phantom smiled, "find any good books?" He asked, doing a lazy loop before coming to stand next to her. Raven shoved about ten heavy tomes into his arms.

"Woah!"

"Yes," Raven said enjoying the way Danny tried to look at her without dropping what he was holding. Picking up the last book, Raven reached out for her cloak, resting on the chair, fastening it around her neck like normal. As they both moved off something caught the edge of the material and Danny paused when he realized Raven wasn't following. He turned back around to see her holding an old hardback book. It was white with silver binding the pages thick and yellowing so that they stuck out unevenly from the sides.

"Another one?" He asked.

"It appears to be a journal about a spellcaster." Raven said, gingerly flipping through the pages. Looking at it oddly. Danny shrugged.

"Clockwork must have misplaced it. He tends to do that. I found a book about a poet in the wildlife section one time. Though in fairness it was titled 'Bird by Bird.'" Danny added but Raven wasn't listening, her eyes reading every line with excitement. Or, what Danny considered to be excitement.

"Raven? _Raven!"_

"What?" She asked looking up before a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

With this she hurriedly flew to catch up with Danny as they headed to the portal swirling between the two stone knights at the end of the hall. Clockwork watched them go, his ruby red eyes both there and distant and behind. With a sigh, he turned away.

"It seems I was too late to help." Once again the Master of Time turned back to watch the parade.

* * *

><p>My home was in ruins. The ancient walls which had kept our people<p>

Safe for millennium were crumbling as the dragon fire ate away the

Stone and blackened the earth. Scorching ruins that would prevent

Any living thing to grow or find shelter there for eternity. The air

Was stifling, burning hot yet the chill in the air was ice cold. I could

Barely find the strength to stand, summoning a valiant shield as the

Beast threw hell fire at my being. It would seem the very fabric of

Amserate was falling into the Other Realm. Blue was becoming Green.

And as I unleashed a powerful attack of light on the dread Dragon,

The City of Memories had fallen to ruin. Vechtoríum, the castle that

Had been my home for centuries, fell to rubble as I cast the Earthen

Spell that sent the Dragon into the now vast canyon of the Chasm.

And so it came to pass, that I, Malchior of Nul, did lay siege to the

Dread Dragon Rorek. Yet at a terrible price, for my home was lost.

The Wizards and Witches of Light, dead or frozen in blackened stone.

I turned away from the emptiness. Leaving to the only tear of fabric

Of Realms left over from the Dragons curse. When out of the shadow,

Fire erupted, and I turned in startlement as Rorek rose from the Pit.

His black scales burning, I backed away. My magic but a spark in my

Heart. When his serpentine tale wrapped around me, lifting me to those

Blood red eyes as the air fled my body.

It did seem that the power of Rorek was greater than my magics could

Defeat. And as the foul beast struck…

The alarm went off with a shrill cry, the lights blaring red and Raven jolted at the horrible sound, irritation flooding through her veins. Especially when she heard Beastboy run by and yell.

"Raven, put the petal to the metal. We gotta go!"

She closed the book with a snap.

* * *

><p>It was at a park where a villain by the name of Kradiac was attacking. Trying to steal children to maintain his energy with the child's host body feeding it nutrients. The thing looked like a giant robotic heart and it freaked Danny out to no end. As Robin and Cyborg unleased their attacks, he flew in, grabbing the one boy unable to escape and get him to safety.<p>

However, by the time he turned around, Raven was ripping the thing apart, Kradiac going up in a fiery explosion that left the whole team stunned. Starfire and Beastboy having not even needed to help.

"Dude, way to take him apart." Beastboy said.

But Raven was already back in the car, buckled up, and frowning in impatience. "Can we go now?" She asked. The Titans all shared a look before climbing in.

It wasn't until the sun had set, that Raven was able to escape to her room once again. Having finished up her report, trained with the team, and getting stuck on dish duty with Beastboy, that she was done for the night. Sitting down on her bed, Raven breathed a sigh of relief and opened the book.

'_It did seem that the powers of the Dread Dragon Rorek was greater than my magics could defeat. And as the foul beast struck…'_

The sound of persistent knocking rapped on Raven's door. When it continued for another minute, Raven was forced to put the book down and stalk over to the door. She opened it to find Robin standing outside her room, a concerned look in his masked eyes.

"Hey, when we got home you kind of ran to your room the second you were done for the day. Anything you want to talk about?"

"No."

Closing the door, she settled back on her bed just the way she liked and thumbed the book open to the page she'd been on. _'Greater than my magics could defeat. And as the foul beast struck, I…' _

A soft tapping reached her ears this time and Raven opened her door only a crack to find Starfire beaming at her. Her blazing red hair done up with a thousand flowery bobby pins and curls.

"Friend, I have journeyed to the mall of shopping and discovered the joy of earthly hair ornaments. Do you wish to…"

"No."

Starfire was left outside with a heartbroken expression. When she noticed Danny walk by, his midnight black hair, long, thick, and covering his eyes. She ran up to him with a sunshine smile. The bobby pin from the floor that had fallen from her hair firmly in hand.

Raven sat back down on her bed and opened the book.

And as the foul beast struck, I summoned the forces of

My enchanted book, _"Algeron enlenthranalfor soloheras nor!"_

With a curse more ancient then foul Rorek himself, I…

"Yo, Raven!"

This time when someone pounded on her door, Raven felt her magic blow steam from her ears as she rushed at the door, opening it with a bang. Only to find Cyborg and Beastboy standing on the other side looking sheepish before smiling cocky grins.

"What?" She asked, her hair still standing on end.

Beastboy pulled out a red and yellow poster, "We're here tonight with an exclusive offer," he started.

"A once in a lifetime chance to get in on America's fastest growing sport sensation," Cyborg added.

"The hot new game we just made up…" Beastboy said moving to the side and together both held up a ball of green and moldy socks held together by the sheer amount of sweat still clinging to the fabric. Both yelled, "Stank Ball!"

Cyborg took one whiff of the ball and nearly collapsed from the stench. Beastboy held up a black and white stripped cloak. "Want to be referee?"

Raven felt purple flames surround her. "Go. Away."

But before she could slam the door in their idiotic faces, Beastboy and Cyborg were there. Holding the door open and whining. Puppy dog looks in their eyes.

"But, _please_…"

"Everybody loves a good game of stank ball." Cyborg said from where he was below Beastboy.

"And we need a referee to play the lightening round."

"No." She said, zapping them with black magic for good measure so the door could slam shut. But Raven could still hear and what Beastboy said next, made Raven's heart clench painfully in her chest and bring stinging tears to her eyes.

"Raven, c'mon what's your problem? Why can't you have fun like normal people? Why are you always locked in your dark room, reading your nasty old books, why do you have to be so creepy?"

"Forget it B, leave her alone." Cyborg said softly.

Yet the damage was done and Raven clutched the old spellcasters journal tightly to her chest. Refusing to let the tears fall. "I'm not creepy." She breathed. "I'm just different." She affirmed. "I wish there was someone around here who understood that. Danny's nice but even he doesn't like the same things I do. I only want someone I could talk to. Someone, more like me."

"_There is."_ A smooth voice answered.

Raven dropped the book in shock and gazed down at it with wide eyes.

"_Ow_."

"Ugh…did you just?"

"Speak?" The book finished, a slight accent to his voice that Raven couldn't place.

"Uh huh." She said intelligently.

"I did. And then you dropped me on my spine." The book answered.

"Oh, sorry. Books aren't supposed to talk." Raven said brushing off the strangeness at having to apologize to a book.

"True, fair maiden, but I am no ordinary book." And the book flew open, turning pages until Raven gasped as she looked into a set of deep eyes. "I am Malchior of Nul, at your service."

"The Wizard who faced the Dread Dragon Rorek?" She said in disbelief.

"The Wizard who _defeated_ Rorek, and who is trapped within these pages by the dragons' final curse." Malchior said, a stray piece of long white hair, grey within the pages, falling into his eyes.

"Trapped? But that battle…"

"Was over one-thousand years ago and I've been waiting for someone to find me ever since. Raven, I've been waiting for you." The man said, pages turning to show a beautiful illustration of her, black magic flowing serenely around, roses winding around the border of the picture.

Raven felt her heart trip double time in a way unlike any she'd felt before and with urgency, she stretched out her palm and tried to free the spellcaster within. But white magic shot out in retaliation, nearly blinding in its power and Raven felt her heart sink.

"The curse is strong. I'm sorry, I don't think my power can break it." She admitted, looking away. But those exotic eyes drew her back, the black ink so detailed she could see every speck of silver as they expanded into soft pools of understanding.

"I know. But perhaps we could just…talk?" Malchior asked. Raven gave a small hesitant smile and began to speak.

They talked for hours, well into the night. It was so freeing, Raven couldn't even remember what they talked about. All she knew was that she wanted to hear more of Malchior's voice. The way he honestly seemed to care.

"Stank ball? You surely must be joking." He said in disbelief.

"They wanted _me_ to referee." Raven added, loving the way Malchior's eyes widened in horror.

"Lovely. You must be the luckiest girl in the world. And this Beastboy sounds like an absolute genius."

Raven couldn't help but laugh, "That was…funny. You're funny."

"And you're the best thing that's happened to me in a thousand years."

"Then, you don't think I'm creepy?" She asked, worry clenching her heart. But Malchior merely shook what little of his head Raven could see.

"Certainly not. You are dark, and darkness is often misunderstood. But I feel like I understand you."

At this, Raven felt the breath in her lungs leave freely and with ease and suddenly her body seemed to realize how late it truly was. A yawn making her vision blur.

"It's late. You should sleep." Malchior said kindly.

"Do you promise to still be here when I wake?" She asked.

"I promise." Malchior said and to reassure her, he lifted up a single page from the journal and Raven watched as it turned into a rose. With care she lifted the book from its pedestal and sat it on her bed. When Raven's head hit the pillow, she was asleep in seconds.

* * *

><p>The next day came with Beastboy giving his morning rooster call on the roof of Titans Tower. As the team struggled to get up on a Saturday, the changeling headed to Ravens room around noon after realizing that she hadn't made it to breakfast. Knocking on her door, Beastboy smiled and hung back.<p>

"Hey Raven, it's like noon and you haven't come out of your room. So, just in case you're mad, I'm gonna go ahead and say, I'm sorry I called you creepy last night." He finished, waiting patiently for her to respond.

Only none came and after about two minutes of standing outside her door and calling her name, Beastboy pressed his ear to the steel and listened intently. What he heard freaked him out to no end. First, because he heard the distinct sound of a man saying, "perhaps if we're quiet he'll go away?" Second, because Raven laughed. Actually laughed.

Beastboy pulled away from the door as if it were a live wire and started pounding on it. "Uh, Raven is everything alright?!" She opened the door a crack, so one violet eye could gaze at the changeling, her hood shadowing her face.

"What?"

"Hi…um, you were laughing, and I thought I heard…is there someone in there?" Beastboy asked suspiciously while trying to peer over her head. Raven leveled him a calm glare.

"Just me, and a really good book."

"Oh, well I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Better than okay, way better." With this she closed the door and Beastboy quickly pressed his ear up to listen. "Sorry Malchior, he won't bother us again."

"Malchior, who the heck is Malchior?" Beastboy wondered as he headed back into the living room. Robin was busy cooking up a late lunch while talking with Cyborg. The mechanical teen busy building his next gadget. On the couch sat Starfire and in between her knees, sitting on the floor was Danny. His black hair currently being done up in small pigtails. All over his head. The halfa appeared calm for all purposes as he flipped the page of his book, except for the occasional wince as his unruly hair was pulled a little too harshly. Danny looked absolutely ridiculous, still, it was better than the flowery bobby pins Star had put in his hair yesterday.

Laughing quietly to himself, Beastboy hopped down the stairs and flipped over the couch to settle next to the halfa on the floor. After all, if anyone would know who Raven's new friend was, it would be Danny.

"So…Raven has a new friend." He said nonchalantly. Danny hummed.

"Oh, that's nice." He answered unbothered before fingering a small ponytail Star had just finished, a desolate expression on his face. Yet he settled back and turned the next page, Beastboy watching as Danny twisted a thick silver ring nervously on his middle finger. The band was thick with ectoplasm flowing at the center of the jewel. Come to think of it, it looked familiar…

Starfire smiled, "Well I think it is glorious that Raven has found another friend. Tell us, who is she?" She asked innocently while her nimble fingers snapped another ponytail in place so another tuff of Danny's hair stuck straight up on his head.

Beastboy grinned, "Don't know, but _his_ name is Malchior and _he's_ in Raven's room, right now." He corrected, grinning as Danny's hands tightened on the book he was holding as his eyes flashed green…interesting.

"Really, wonder why Raven didn't introduce us?" Robin said walking over to openly laugh at the halfa's plight. Danny growled, glowering up at the Titan.

"Forget that. What kind of parents name their kid Malchior?" He insisted, Robin smirked about to call Danny out on this new budding display of dare he call it, jealously. Thankfully, Cyborg answered before the teen wonder got shot at.

"Probably rich snobs, or are too proud of their family history. Where did Raven even meet this guy? And how on earth did he get into my Tower?"

"Raven let him in, I guess." Beastboy answered but Danny only frowned pushing away his feelings and dare he say it, _maybe jealously_, to try and remember when Raven could have met this strange teen.

"When? She's been holed up in her room since yesterday and none of us have even left the Tower. Something isn't right."

"There's a few things that aren't right." Cyborg sang enjoying the way Danny flushed. But Robin leaned back on the couch and thought about it.

"Danny's right. We don't know enough about this Malchior and Raven has been acting strange."

"You think." Danny cut in but Robin ignored him.

"Beastboy, you check up on Raven in her room but be discrete about it." Robin ordered and Beastboy shot up and gave a salute.

"You got it, boss?" He said smiling, running off down the hall.

Before Danny could say anything further Starfire grabbed him under his armpits and lifted him in the air.

"Star…what?"

Starfire beamed, "I am done!" She sang whirling him around to get a good look at him, leaving Danny disoriented as she pulled him into a hug.

"You look so handsome!" She sniffled like a proud sister and Danny didn't have the heart to correct her as she nearly broke the bones in his ribcage. From behind her, Robin and Cyborg were barely holding it together as they laughed into their hands. Danny flicked them off. Before happily shooting ectoblasts from his fingertips.

* * *

><p>The next day came and went and Beastboy happily reported that Malchior was in fact bound in a book, loved poetry, and was capable of making Raven laugh. Not to mention the fact that he was the white wizard who defeated Rorek and was just plain awesome.<p>

"He sounds like a real charmer." Danny snapped before taking a breath, hoping no one noticed the TV remote clatter back to the table. Next to him, Cyborg gave an agreeing grunt.

"Yeah man, he sounds _awesome_. When do we get to meet him?"

Danny shot him a glare but nonetheless turned back to Beastboy who stood in front of the TV. The changeling beamed, "Don't know yet…Raven's trying to free him from the book as we speak."

"What?" Danny said in alarm.

* * *

><p>Raven sat cross-legged dead center on her floor, surrounded by a circle of ancient pots and burning candles. The smell of incense and crushed herbs weighing heavily in the air. From her hand, she let Arabian sand crushed with lavender and linden tree leaves pour into the main copper bowl. In a chalice she added salt from the Dead Sea then carefully mixed crushed bones of dark pixies from the Black Forest before adding that into the copper bowl as well.<p>

"I've never even heard of this spell, where did you learn it?" She asked looking up the meet Malchior's eyes from where his book resided on her pedestal at the center of the circle.

"It's in the Galion Scrolls." Malchior said. Raven's eyes widened in awe.

"You've read the Galion Scrolls?"

"And the Mornal Archives and the Stones of Sir. I've been trapped in a book, not much to do but read." Malchior replied.

Adding two drops of phoenix tears, Raven looked at the potion and smiled, "I think it's almost ready." She said, her heart beginning to beat in excitement.

"Good, there's just one more ingredient." Malchior said before a page shot forward and Raven felt a whoosh of air brush past her right ear and strands of her hair fell into the bowl.

"A lock of hair from a beautiful girl."

Raven felt her cheeks warm as she ran her fingers through her hair, "beautiful?" She said in disbelief. Yet Malchior's eyes only sparkled.

"I truly appreciate all that you are doing for me, Raven."

"I might not know how to break the curse, but at least I can get you out of that book." She said firmly and taking a handful of the sparkling sand, Raven opened her palm and blew on it. It left her hand like seedlings leaving a flower, heading towards Malchior.

She watched in wonder as the pages flew all around her, gathering in the center of the circle, coming together until Raven could see a man forming from them, out of them. Until only Malchior stood before her. He was tall, broad shouldered and narrow wasted and his eyes were the same piercing grey they had been in the book. Raven felt her heart trip double time.

"Thank you." He said, though nothing moved on his blank face.

"You're welcome." Raven answered and she felt her breath catch as he walked towards her leaving the glowing circle to stand next to her. Malchior was so tall, Raven was forced to crane her neck to meet his eyes. But her heart stuttered when he reached out a hand to run through her hair, but all too soon those elegant fingers unraveled. The pages falling apart. Raven gasped in horror.

Malchior looked down at his wrist with annoyed resignation. "Silly me. Of course, I remain bound to the book." He said reforming the limb as he turned back to the old journal resting on the pedestal.

"Because the curse is still in effect." Raven realized.

"Indeed. If am ever truly to be free, well, it would require magics of much greater power." He said still gazing intently at the cursed object.

"Then teach me the spells. I want to help you. I want to learn." Raven pleaded moving to look up at him. Malchior's eyes seemed to brighten and he gently cupped her face before placing one arm securely around her shoulders.

"To break this curse, I must teach you more than a few simple spells. I must teach you everything I know." He replied, his free hand sparked in white magic and suddenly, Raven's room was filled with stacks of books, others floating all around not able to fit. Raven could get lost at the sight.

Malchior eagerly pointed out the books as they floated past them, "The Book of Lord, the Entry of Verses, the Roman Omicron, the Bercian Chronicles, more than six-thousand pages of spells, charms, and incantations."

"That's a lot of reading." Raven noted when she heard the steady sound of someone knocking at her door. After making sure Malchior was well hidden, not that it was hard considering that her room just got turned into a library, Raven opened the door to find Danny standing outside. His ice blue eyes worried despite how calm he looked. She stepped into the hallway and closed the door.

"I wanted to check on you."

"Why?" Raven asked, an irrational anger surging through her.

"Because some guy in a book wants you to break his curse." Danny supplied helpfully, looking for all the world like he wanted to call Raven an idiot. That made her want to zap him.

"The dragon cursed him." She corrected harshly and Danny took one look at her and ran a hand through his hair, his metal ring clinking softly against the tiny braids woven into his hair. It was then Raven got her first good look at Danny in three days and she found herself blushing. For his normal, unruly black hair now had multiple plaits of braids, so tiny a person would miss them if they weren't paying attention. She then began noting how each braid was held together by coils of thin, flexible Tamaraian metal and the occasional glass bead. It looked like Starfire had found a mall buddy.

Raven had to force away the surge of jealously at that thought, the second a sting of betrayal because Star knew how she possibly _might_ feel about him.

"Raven?" Danny asked, and he watched as she jolted, then frowned at him.

"What?"

Danny glared, "I said, it doesn't matter who cursed him. Malchior still ended up in a book and you hanging out with him is a little worrisome. Especially if he's trying to get free."

"What does it matter if he wants to be free? And why should you worry about who I hang out with, when you have Starfire." Raven said, nearly sneering her only girlfriends name and surprising them both at the venom present.

Yet Danny's eyes flashed a deadly green, "what does Starfire have to do with any of this?" He asked his ghostly aura slipping through cream skin, making the Titan look sickly pale.

Raven glared and crossed her arms defiantly, her voice even and uncaring, "nothing. Only you seem to be shameless when it comes to _'seeing the sights'_ as Cyborg calls it."

The second Raven said this, she knew she'd said the wrong thing. She watched as Danny looked like he'd been hit with a ton of bricks. His face drained of all color, and his feet hit solid ground. But the air around them seemed to have dropped below freezing and Raven heard the _cricks_ and _cracks_ of ice forming on the Tower's walls.

"You think I'm…you think Starfire and I are…" Danny stuttered taking a step back.

"Well, aren't you?" She snapped a little desperately. But to anyone, Raven sounded harsh and accusing.

Danny took an abrupt turn and started heading down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Raven called, her fists coming up to squeeze the frozen doorjamb for support.

Danny stopped and turned two bitter glowing green eyes at her, "you know, I thought you were a lot of things, Raven. But I always thought _petty jealous_ was beneath you."

This time it was Raven who felt her breath get slammed out of her. Danny disappeared in a swirl of green energy.

* * *

><p>Time passed, and soon Raven forgot all about Danny and the argument that still left an ache in her chest. Instead she was busy trying to learn everything Malchior gave her. From the basics, to the works written by Orridon the Strange. She laughed whenever he pulled up another stack of books and appeared behind them, and blushed when she messed up some spell and Malchior was left to either put it out, or have Raven pat the fire off of him.<p>

Malchior taught her magics that transcended the barriers of light, and spells that could give her thoughts form. She could feel the power in the air and directed it, controlled it. Until one evening she felt it all click, she gathered the green light of life that flowed among every living thing, condensed it until it was energy, raw and pure and then released it into the form of a phoenix. Fireworks exploding in the air. All the while Raven was held securely in Malchior's arms. It was the happiest she had ever been.

When Raven entered the Titans living room, she didn't notice how her friends seemed to stop what they were doing. Cyborg and Beastboy hitting pause on their racing game, Robin saving the programing he was currently working on as Starfire watched him, and Danny who sat at the kitchen table sketchbook in front of him, charcoal pencil forgotten. No, Raven only stretched out her arms and floated to the fridge to get an apple.

Turning around she found them all surrounding her.

"Hi Raven, we haven't seen you around much lately." Robin said.

Beastboy rolled his eyes as he sat on the countertop, "Um, yeah because she hasn't left her room for a week!" He stated then let out a strangled noise as Cyborg pushed his head down and smiled.

"I, uh, like your new look." Cy said kindly. Raven smiled, the corners of her lips turning up slightly as she looked down to white robes and red jewels.

"Thanks."

Next to Beastboy, Danny let out a scoff and continued drawing.

"So," Robin interrupted, "when do we get to meet this friend of yours?" He asked. Raven smiled, "Soon."

Starfire squealed and flew up to her friend, taking Raven's hands in hers, the Tamaranian beamed, "I am unable to wait, Beastboy has told us much about the Malchior and how he remains trapped within a book but…"

"Now how would Beastboy know something like that?" Raven asked looking past Starfire's shoulder to glare at the changeling who nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"I may of…kind have been a fly on the wall of your room?" He suggested transforming into the tiny buzzing insect.

Raven smirked, "Funny, you look more like a rat to me." And with a small pop, a rat fell to the ground before Beastboy turned himself back, eyes wide in shock.

"You morphed me? How did you do that?"

"It's simple," Raven said, excitement in her voice because finally, her friends were asking about her powers. But Raven suddenly felt dread clench her stomach when Danny suddenly stood up. His blue eyes hard.

"You shouldn't control people like that."

"I'm not."

Yet before Danny could say anything more the alarm went off, Robin pulling up the holographic screen on his black gloves. "Trouble!" With this, they moved, Raven watching as blue rings changed Danny into Phantom, the small braids in his hair held together with electric green metal. His words twisted something hot and angry in her stomach which felt strangely a lot like guilt. But one thought of Malchior, of how he listened to her, and Raven started floating in place, humming a quiet tune.

Beastboy skidded to a stop when he noticed Raven wasn't following, "Hey, we gotta go!" He called before disappearing down the hall.

* * *

><p>It was in a neighborhood, and when the Titans got there it was to find a little girl floating dazedly in the center of Kardiac's four chambered heart. Her bedroom left with a giant gapping hole in it, and Robin could hear the mother's screams as her husband restrained her. Robin put away his birdarangs, and glared.<p>

"Titans, hand to hand, we don't want to hurt the girl. Phantom, can you try and get her out?"

High up in the air, Danny took one look at the trapped little girl, saw the thin veins of the monster moving under her skin and growled. His glowing green eyes blazing.

"No. She's too mixed up with that thing, I might not get all of Kardiac out of her, or worse…"

"How can anything be worse than that?" Beastboy asked from where he stood on the pavement, animalistic energy pouring out of him.

Danny's fists burned ice cold, "I might leave some of _her_ behind." He finished and Robin and Cyborg charged. Both Starfire and Danny threw their powers around Kardiac, trying to prevent him from moving as Cyborg and Beastboy dove into the fray of giant pipes and vales, Robin flipping up onto the red flesh like dome, blade in hand.

"Robin, look out!" Beastboy called, before the left artery knocked the changeling back forty-feet. The Titan leader felt something slam into his back, healing knife wounds throbbing viciously as he sailed up into the house. Managing to catch himself on the gutter, Robin flipped up and landed on the roof. The warm trickle of blood told him the stiches had been pulled.

Cyborg slashed at Kardiac with a saw, straight through red flesh and Robin knew one more hit would free the girl. Looking up, the Titan saw Phantom diving after Beastboy.

"Starfire, I need you to…"

Just then, in a swirl of black magic Raven appeared in front of the screaming machine. Her entrance distracting Cyborg which landed him a fierce backslap away from Kardiac. Robin swore under his breath as she opened her white eyes.

"This time when I break you, _stay broken."_ She hissed.

Shit.

"Raven, careful, the girl…"

"_Necranom hezbereth mortix!"_

With a cry, black magic poured out of Raven's mouth. It slammed into the ground and began covering Kardiac like a malicious tumor. It was devouring everything. Robin realized in horror, desperately he surged forward. Making a mad dash for the girl, only to have Cyborg pull him back.

"You can't man, that stuff is toxic!" Cy yelled, panic in his voice as his scanners went crazy.

"Raven, stop!"

"I. Can't."

At those words, Robin felt his heart stop. Then restart in terror when he saw that Kardiac was nearly covered the black poison. The machine twitching like it were going through death throes. He then watched as Phantom shot forward, going to the only weak spot Cyborg had managed to create.

Danny let out a pained scream as the black magic ate at his arm, but he pushed past it until he felt the red flesh torn open underneath his palm, and then he was inside the thing, wrapping his arms around the little girl with blonde hair and forming as strong a shield as he possibly could. His dead heart filled with terror. The shield barely fit around them. Suddenly, Danny heard a loud _crack_ and then the black thing eating away the remains of Kardiac disappeared.

The little girl stirred in his arms. Danny didn't drop the shield, choosing instead to cradle her to his chest, both of them trying to be as small as possible inside a shield so thick, Danny couldn't see anything outside of ectoplasmic green.

"Danny, it's Robin, you can drop the shield!"

Slowly, the energy dissipated, and dazedly Danny was setting the little girl down onto the concrete hearing her run into her parents arms. No, instead Danny was looking past the dead remains of Kardiac, past Robin and the other Titans, to where Raven sat on the ground. Beastboy transforming out of his ram form to glare at her.

"What is wrong with you?" Beastboy yelled. Raven looked up at him with wide violet eyes but turned when she heard Starfire gasp.

"Phantom, you are injured."

"It's fine." Danny replied. Only it wasn't. All the Titans could see it. Where one white glove had been, now was only melted fabric and burned skin. A twisting pattern that could only have come from magic. Not just any magic, Raven realized. Evil magic. Dark magic. Forcing her lunch back down, Raven met those worried glowing green eyes and she transformed into a blackbird before flying back to the Tower.

Gingerly, Starfire took Danny's right hand in her palm, noting how it trembled slightly and her friend winced in pain. It was a nasty wound. Now that she could properly look at it. The charred skin snaked around his arm from his fingertips and nearly reached past his elbow. Pale white skin was now an angry green as the ectoplasium that flowed in his bones seeped out to try and heal itself. She could see the way Danny's powers flowed like electric signals just below the surface of the undamaged skin and the way it stopped in jarring movements.

"This requires medical attention." She said firmly, Cyborg already beside her, pulling out a container from his thigh and opening it. Danny watched in preparation for more pain as Cyborg let a dollop of gel fall into his hand. Then Danny was hissing, his good hand gripping Starfire's as Cy smeared the liquid across his skin.

"Really, I'm fine. It felt the same as when Terra attacked me. I'll heal." He pleaded as they headed back to the new car. Robin frowned as he got into the driver's seat.

"Oh yeah, how you nearly died when she plunged that glowing blade in your gut. You have nothing to worry about."

"There's no need for sarcasm." Danny groaned. Settling back in the seat and letting Cy do his thing. In the very back of the car, Beastboy let out a thoughtful grunt. Starfire caught his eye.

"What is it, Beastboy?"

Looking out at the flashing scenery, Beastboy spoke, "nothing, it's just…Terra's powers were all about nature and life, right? But they were almost, I don't know, magical. Kind of like Raven's. Although her powers are more darkness and the scary stuff you find in nightmares."

Everyone was quiet for a long time, before Danny finally spoke.

"I'm not sure. Her powers felt nearly _identical_ to Terra's. Evilness aside. Raven's powers feel a lot like life as well."

Cyborg gave a snort, "which means somebody in this car is allergic to said powers." He said with a smirk.

Danny felt a green flush try and creep up to the tips of his ears, "I am not allergic to Raven!"

Finally, the air in the car seemed breathable again.

* * *

><p>When Raven landed in the Tower she didn't even wait for her door to open properly. Instead, magic encompassed it and it nearly came off the hinges with her urgency to get inside. To where Malchior stood gazing down at the journal he had written and was later bound in.<p>

"It's dark magic. You've been teaching me _dark magic_." She accused, flying up to him, the mirrors on her walls cracking in rage. Malchior only tilted his head to the side in consideration, and Raven could see confusion in his storm grey eyes.

"Is it dark? Or is it simply misunderstood?" He asked, "Like you. True, the spells I've taught you are very powerful. There are those who fear power, so they call it dark but for people like us, such distinctions do not exist." With this, Malchior took her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze. Raven felt her heart starting to break. _Gods, the look in Danny's eyes. _Slowly, Malchior led her to the enchanted book.

"Without these spells, we can never truly be together. Enchanted pages or no, I'm still trapped within this book, and you're still alone. Is that what you want Raven, to be alone?"

At Malchior's words, Raven felt the tears start to fall, "No." She admitted, her breath catching as Malchior wiped away the traces of her sadness. Her mind seeing scorched black over white skin. Not Malchior's page smooth hands.

"My sweet Raven, it is time."

Surrounded in a circle of books, Malchior stood, tall as ever. "The incantation, just as I taught you." He said to Raven who stood in front of the cursed object.

Taking a breath, Raven raised her arms and let the power flood her system, _"hezberech etmoriinae gostwienthen verbes nex, enobrium bispendurae haranzi cortus rex!"_ The magic of the night spiraled out of her as the books surrounding Malchior turned a blinding white.

The man disappeared into the pages and Raven gasped as she heard him scream from within the book, the man draped in shadows falling to his knees in pain.

"Malchior!" Raven screamed, her heart hammering in fear, what if she'd done the spell wrong? Only Raven watched as the man in the journal seemed to grow and transform…into a dragon. The circle in the center of her room began to turn red and Raven gasped as an illustration, depicting the White Wizard and the Dread Dragon fighting the final battle, began to change. The names inscribed beautifully next to each, switched.

Raven's eyes widened in horror, "Malchior wasn't the wizard, he was the dragon." She dove for the circle, if she could only break it…a wave of magic blasted her back and a fire breathing dragon was stepping through, destroying her room as he took to the sky. Distantly, Raven heard Robin kick down her door and the Titans watched in shock as Malchior disappeared through the gapping hole. Dropping the black shield protecting her, Raven held the book in hand.

"He lied to me. He lied. And I _gave_ him what he wanted."

"Come on," Robin ordered, Starfire taking him and Cyborg up to the fight. Both Beastboy and Phantom stayed. The changeling took a hesitant step forward.

"Raven, are you okay?" He asked.

"Please, just get out of my room."

Danny placed a hand on Beastboy's shoulders, "We need to go." Taking one last look at her, Beastboy followed Danny up.

* * *

><p>Malchior was massive as a dragon, with black and purple scales covering a slender body that was ten times stronger than any metal on earth. Not even Beastboy's sharp teeth as a T-Rex could break through as he bit down on the dragon's neck. Malchior threw him over the edge of the Tower along with the Titan leader and the mechanical teen before taking to the sky.<p>

His red eyes burned hotter than any furnace as he met the electric green of Starfire's and the glowing ones' of Phantom. And his wingspan alone was stirring up the ocean water below. Danny ducked as Malchior breathed a bone melting stream of fire and punched him under his ribcage while releasing as massive ectoblast, hoping to at least wind the beast. Starfire managed to get in a fierce uppercut to Malchior's jaw before his spiked tail sent her into the ocean.

For being such a massive creature, Danny noted, Malchior was fast. Dodging razor sharp claws, Danny tried to recall any of the old books Sam had liked to show him. Books on vampires, werewolves, fairies, dragons and other creatures who used to walk this earth. And more importantly, how to kill them. Turning intangible as fire engulfed him, Danny tried to think.

When suddenly, white magic engulfed him and Danny felt his body become paralyzed, Malchior caught him in one paw and raised him to eye level.

"So you're the one who's playing the valiant role as the knight in shining armor." Malchior sneered, his teeth gleaming in the afternoon light. Danny really hoped the dragon wouldn't eat him.

"Yeah, I guess so. Just do me a favor, I prefer cremation." He quipped, and Malchior squeezed his claws tighter and Danny was extremely grateful that his bones were so flexible as he gasped in pain.

"Well then, how about I send you to where all heroes go." Malchior said and those eyes blazed red and he began to chant and the fabric of the air seemed to become charged and Danny watched as a tear began to form below them,_ "I call on the doors of the forgotten realms. The City of Ruined Memories, I say open! So that you may devour these bones."_

Just as spots started dotting Danny's vision, black binding magic shot out from the Titans roof and Raven rose into the air, the familiar words of her chant ringing out and Danny felt the dragon release him. Instead growling at her, shooting fire as the tear continued to grow.

Down below, Danny saw Robin getting up, sword in hand. "Mind if I borrow that?" He asked teleporting next to his friend.

Raven let out a startled cry when Malchior wrapped his claws around her, "Oh dear, you aren't going to cry now are you? I know it hurts, but you'll just have to accept the truth, it's over. I got what I wanted, and I don't need you anymore."

Rage coursed through her blood and Raven's eyes were white as the full moon, "it's not over."

The Dread Dragon Malchior laughed, "Sweet Raven, you can't possibly hope to defeat me. I taught you everything you know."

"You taught me spells, but I just learned a curse."

Summoning Rorek's enchanted book, Malchior reared back and screamed, he shot fire out at Raven, her mind straining to recall the words while battling the flames with her magic. When from the corner of her eyes she saw Phantom fly up.

She gasped when the dragon suddenly gave a sharp cry, and his fire died like that of a gutted beast and Raven watched as Danny pulled something long, coated in ice with ectoplasm laced into the crystals and twisted it out from under Malchior's ribcage.

"What was that about devouring my bones?" Danny asked, his white aura flaring angrily as he met those shocked red eyes, before Phantom swung around in the air and sent Malchior falling down into the tear he'd made, the remnants of a city swirling in green swallowing him up.

The power left the air, and the night breeze being carried by the ocean was a soothing breath. Danny turned to Raven, eyes unreadable.

"Are you alright?" He asked coming to hover next to her.

Raven looked down at the book still in her hand and contemplated dropping it into the ocean, when gentle hands tugged it from her grip. She looked up to see Danny holding it and smiling softly.

"I don't think it's fair to Rorek, if you destroy his journal. Plus, Clockwork would kill me if I let you."

Relief surged through Raven for reasons she couldn't explain. Then, as tears streamed down her face, and while her clothes turned from white to black and navy blue, Danny was kind enough to hold onto her. And Raven prayed that maybe he might be able to forgive her as well.

* * *

><p>Even though Clockwork knew when the portal opened that all was well, seeing Danny fly through with Raven was enough to make him breathe a sigh of relief.<p>

"Danny, I trust you and your friends are well?" Clockwork asked, for there were many futures where the good was mixed in with horrible sadness. But Danny smiled, seeming to understand, as he flew up and gave the middle-aged ghost a hug.

"Yeah, we're all alright. Robin and Star are a little banged up but everything's good." Danny answered. Yet Clockwork raised an eyebrow when he noticed the bandage wrapped around one arm.

"A little magical mishap." The ghost in front of him answered, beside them Raven coughed softly. Clockwork turned, the Titan sorceress held out a familiar white and silver book.

"We came to return this." She said.

"I see. I am sorry I was unable to prevent this future from happening." Clockwork said earnestly as he took it from her, and Raven felt herself blush.

"It's alright. If you had, I wouldn't have learned some…things about myself that need fixing." She answered.

Tilting his head to the side the child regarded the young woman curiously before bowing his head in acceptance.

"Then I am glad I was able to help."

After a few more minutes, Danny and Raven bid Clockwork goodbye before disappearing through the portal. For a time, Clockwork stood in the grand hallway, holding the journal with care. Then he silently began floating through the castle, out the double doors and down a stone path.

It was here he let long disused feet walk across the white stone, his purple robe brushing the ground until he came to the entrance of a graveyard. In the distance he could just make out the pillars of Vechtoríum. Three rows past the stone carving of the griffin and four tombs down from the phoenix, Clockwork stopped at the plain slate stone covering the ground, a square cut out at the heart of the stone.

A single engraving at the top, letters Clockwork had long since memorized, 'Rorek of Nul, The Last White Wizard,' a sad smile tugged at the Master of Time's lips.

"Old friend, it is good to see you again. I remember visiting your city many times. Humans' were such strange creatures to me…and I often wondered why you chose to die defending such a home when all hope had been lost." Clockwork had to stop there, his ruby red eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Even now, after all that I have chosen to become, I still find myself regretting following in my Master's footsteps. For though I see all, I must live in the present and watch as time turns everything, even ghosts eventually, to dust." Clockwork said.

"Yet, there are still times when I am amazed. For I have finally seen the time when you may truly be at peace."

Then, placing the journal in the stone, Clockwork watched as his childhood friend's tomb turned from blinding white to moonstone grey. Proof that the last of Rorek's magic and his spirit were at peace. Slowly, Clockwork turned and made his way back up the path, his heart lighter than it had been for many decades.

* * *

><p>Quietly, Raven and Danny made their way through the Tower, heading to Danny's room. The full ghost having to concentrate on walking each step, his now black eyebrows furrowed slightly. God, he couldn't wait until he was a halfa again. Reaching his door, Danny finally looked over to meet Raven's violet eyes and he gave her a hesitant smile.<p>

"Well, this is my stop. Have a nice night, Raven."

"Danny!"

Danny paused, one foot in his bedroom as he turned to see Raven fidget slightly, her eyes shinning in nervousness.

"I'm sorry." She managed to get out, clasping her hands together in order to hide their trembling.

"For what?" He asked, facing her fully now and leaning on the doorjamb. Blue eyes suddenly serious.

"I'm sorry for not believing you. You were trying to tell me that Malchior might have been using me, and I didn't listen." She admitted, still feeling the shame burn low in her gut.

Yet Danny only frowned at this, "Raven, I'm not upset about that. I'm angry at how you got jealous. Of what you accused me and Starfire of doing. The whole Tower knows I think of her as a sister."

Raven's eyes widened slightly at that admission and she found herself taking a step towards the boy in front of her. "I know. But Danny, I only said that because I knew it would hurt you. Please understand, there are things inside me that run deeper than human emotions can describe." _Things that terrified her._

"That's alright." Raven jerked her head up to see Danny smiling a calm lopsided grin that made his sharp features soften in pure boyish innocence. The kind that made Raven's heart still in wonder.

"Alright? But Danny, I…"

"Raven, the only thing I care about is you understanding them. Letting me understand as well. How do you think I learned to trust my friends so well? How…Sam learned to understand me?" Danny admitted and wasn't that the truth. There were things he had only ever let Sam know about his ghost powers. About himself. That no one, not Jazz and not even Tucker had even come close to knowing.

Giving into the urge to tuck a stray strand of dark purple hair behind Raven's ear, Danny did so, feeling his mind flutter in giddiness at the way Raven's violet eyes dilated. "Raven, if you want me to understand you, all you have to do is talk to me. I'll listen." He whispered.

Raven felt something crumble inside her, then, she was tilting her head up and soundly meeting Danny's lips. For a second, her heart trembled as Danny went rigid in shock, and Raven contemplated knocking herself out for acting so rashly. When his arms wrapped around her, and thank Azar, Danny simply kissed back.

It was like nothing Raven had experienced before, lips that had haunted her dreams for months were melting her, yet Danny's strong hands kept her standing, burning brands into her back. And Raven found herself laughing when they bumped noses and she broke the kiss to meet two laughing pools of blue before Danny tilted his head just so, grinning happily, Raven kissed him again.

She could fall in love with Danny simply from this. As Raven felt a cool tongue trace the seam of her lips, she gave in and tangled her fingers in midnight strands of hair. That was when it all fell apart. Raven felt her hand brush something hard and metallic right behind Danny's ear, probably one of Starfire's beads, and suddenly Raven's mind was filled with the image of Terra holding one blood coated knife. And that was when she remembered.

Months before Terra had betrayed them, when they'd watched that movie and she'd lost control…she'd seen the future. Danny broke off the kiss with a gasp, both teens stumbling away from the other. Raven saw a flash of a sigil that looked familiar, like a distorted skull. But she pushed that aside in favor of making sure Danny was alright.

"Danny?"

"I'm fine." He hastily said, "It's nothing you did."

"Then you didn't see anything?" She asked relief quelling the panic and she realized that Danny's cheeks were stained with light green and dazedly she knew hers must be a brilliant red.

But Danny looked at her with confusion before he shook his head and backed into his room. "No, I just…need some time alone. I'm tired and…yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! I wasn't…it wasn't me, was it?"

To this, Danny paused and seemed to see all her insecurities, which Raven really didn't _want_ him to see, but then those his eyes were looking at her again. And Danny stepped forward, before placing a tender kiss on her lips. Feather light before he pulled away.

"No, I just need some time to think." He answered, then Danny stepped inside his room and closed the door. Raven wasn't sure how long she stood outside but when she did manage to turn and head to her room, she got all of five steps before giving into the urge to jump in the air and do a fist pump.

Rounding the corner, Raven stopped when she saw Beastboy standing outside her door. Pacing softly back and forth.

"Beastboy, what are you doing here?" She asked startling the teen who had to change out of his chameleon form before he could answer.

"I just wanted to stop by and say, I'm sorry Malchior broke your heart." He said softly, his foot scuffing the floor. Raven felt her heart ache in warmth from the way Beastboy cared.

"It's alright, I just…I had wanted someone who understood me because of how creepy I am." She admitted and at the Beastboy's protests she shook her head, "and don't try and tell me I'm not."

Beastboy let out a sight, ruffling his green bangs, "fine. You're way creepy but that doesn't mean you're alone." He said firmly.

"I know." She said before pulling him into a hug that made Beastboy jump before he hugged her back.

"Well, this is awkward." He said, laughing.

"Shut up. This is what you wanted, right? Me out of my room." Raven joked pulling away to grin faintly at him.

The expression Beastboy gave Raven was priceless, "well _duh_, but actually I was coming to talk with Danny about him refereeing the lightening round and…" Anything else that might have been said ended when a giant green soak ball slammed into the changeling's head and Raven turned to see Cyborg giving a whoop.

"Ah, yeah man, in your face!" Cy yelled.

Offhandedly, Raven picked up the ball and gave it a contemplating look, "You know, Danny's asleep in his room and I never did repay you for annoying me." She said.

With the devious look Raven sent both Cyborg and Beastboy, it had them tearing off down the hall as the ball chased them, coated in black magic.

* * *

><p>As soon as the door had closed, Danny found himself sinking to the floor. The ring of illusion on his middle finger falling onto the seashell white carpet with a muffled thump. Leaving behind snow white hair and stunned glowing green eyes. Never in his life had Danny felt so conflicted. He felt elated when he remembered Raven yet shame tugged at him, for he could feel emotions that burned for Valarie in his human half flooding his veins.<p>

And when Raven had accidentally brushed his empathic device, everything he felt and all that his human-half felt, rushed into him. Mixing together until, Danny wasn't sure what he was feeling. Yet worst of all there was one thing that covered up all his confusion.

Guilt. Only it wasn't for the reason Danny thought it would be for. No, what he thought would happen when Raven had kissed him would be guilt at betraying the memory of Sam. But instead, when Raven's lips met his, all Danny had felt was relief. That was why guilt now filled him, because he hadn't felt _guilty_. Clenching his eyes closed Danny pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes.

"I'm so messed up, Sam." He whispered to the darkness, "I feel like I've forgotten something I shouldn't have and now I'm feeling things that I can't make heads or tails of. I know I like Valarie, but how much do I like her? How much do I care for Raven?"

_Why do I feel like I can let you go, Sam? _

That was the one question Danny couldn't voice.

* * *

><p>At the H.I.V.E. Academy, human Danny was having similar thoughts. His mind a whirlwind and when Valarie walked in to find his back up against their bed, breaths coming in shallow gasps. She dropped her gear and rushed to his side. Kneeling down in front of him, her hands coming to cradle his face.<p>

"Danny, can you hear me? What's wrong?" She begged, watching as those ice blue eyes slowly began to focus on her.

"Valarie?" He asked, the terror slowly leaving them and Valarie sagged in relief.

"Yeah, it's me. What on earth are you doing sitting on the floor?" She asked trying to lighten the mood. Only Danny shook his head, a lost like still haunting those eyes she had grown to love.

"I…" Danny trailed off, then with one hand, reached up, (his other arm throbbing fiercely for some reason) and gently mirroring Valarie's early action, softly traced patterns into her skin. Then he was placing a kiss on soft lips. It lasted only a second, a brief touch, before Danny was pulling away, confused eyes looking up into Valarie's molten gold. And neither Danny nor Valarie could remember who moved first when their lips met solidly in another kiss.

* * *

><p>AN: Hi everyone, I'm back!<p>

Now for some fun facts and goodies that were present in this chapter:

1)I'm showing how ghost Danny is dealing with being separated. So, since he's full ghost doing things we 'living' creatures must do aren't necessarily needed. For example ghost Danny doesn't need to eat as much or breathe as often as a normal human. (Although he still needs to in order to help him draw energy from his surroundings.) And things like floating and using his powers comes easier and without thought.

2)The Ring of Illusions, was first seen in Chapter 9: the Great Ones' Mask of TP. It disguises his form and makes him appear human, though sometimes his ghostly aura and powers leak through.

3)The city of Amserate or also known as the City of Memories, is a place I made up that is a side story that may or may not come up again. (It's a filler so that we can understand Clockwork) the castle where the wizards and witches lived was called Vectoríum. And here is the first time that we learn that Clockwork wasn't always the Master of Time.

4)However, Clockwork has always been a ghost. That's important.

5)In dealing with Kardiac, I always thought it was strange that he took children. So I wondered maybe it's for sustenance? And children are probably tastier.

6)Why couldn't Danny phase her out?

Kardiac had his veins moving deeper underneath the girls' skin and drawing her nutrients into him. So it would be extremely hard for Danny to differentiate between the two.

That is why Danny could always phase water off of himself and others, reach into his stomach and pull out an undigested spork, but why he never tried to free Sam or the others from Undergrowth, because he couldn't.

7)Why does Raven and Terra's abilities hurt Danny?

It's because of the _type_ of magic they use. Both girls have access to universal elemental magic. While spells and enchantments can effect Danny, such as what Malchior did to him, it doesn't hurt. (If Zatanna used her powers on him it wouldn't hurt either.)

But Raven and Terra are tapped into I would call _Living Magic_. And since Danny's a full ghost right now, that can prove fatal, hence him getting injured.

8)Yes, Danny killed Malchior, no, I don't regret it. The sword he used slipped up underneath Malchior's scales and pierced his heart (Danny made it a lot longer and it broke off, inside the dragon). Since not even Danny would be able to possess the dragon (they are filled with old magic) and their hides are tougher than even his ectoblasts.

Sam often read Danny tales and myths from old books when they weren't playing video games, or fighting ghosts.

9)That kiss…was extremely hard to keep pg/pg-13. So let me know what you thought.

10)Raven's vision was from a memory in Chapter 20: To Fear of TP and also that sigil is important…can anyone guesses what she saw? Hint it does have to do with the present.

Danny freaked out because he thought Raven felt what he'd felt and that she'd discover his secret.

Danny also doesn't remember the conversation with Sam at the end of season 2.

11) Yes, I'm expanding Raven's personality, bringing more of it to the forefront. Which is fun.

12)Also, Danny isn't cheating on either Valarie or Raven. That will never happen, peeps, sorry. But if you look closely you can see that he wasn't fully aware of what he's doing. Plus, cut him some slack being split in two has to be stressful, not to mention confusing!

Lastly, I want to thank all of my reviewers, and followers and all you people who have favored my story, you make me so happy! Thank You! So please, Read and Review!

~Rin

Next Chapter: Is This A Revolution?

P.S. I'm open to ideas on what to do in this chapter! So drop me a review or private message, thanks!


	44. Interlude II

Titans Phantom

Interlude No. II

**Going Commando**

_A couple of days after the defeat of Malchior:_

Moving slowly, Danny flexed his wrist, feeling the muscles pull and his healing skin strain. Winching slightly, Danny then began going through the small circular motions as the medical doors opened and Raven entered, watching. The guilt still plain to see in her violet eyes.

"It's healing well." She noted.

Danny gave a nod, his white hair falling in his eyes, "Yeah, Cyborg says it shouldn't even scar."

Raven flinched at this and Danny felt his heart sink, thinking quickly before she started apologizing, he held up one of his white gloves for Raven to take. She looked at it curiously, then confusion, and finally she settled on annoyance.

"Why are you giving me your glove?"

"Because I can!" Danny said in excitement, his green eyes alight. Raven looked positively mutinous.

"Alright."

Danny let out a sigh, "normally, if I try to take off my uniform it will simply rematerialize back on my body."

"Sure, you can't change what you died in." Raven said and Danny nodded. "Yep. But whatever you did seemed to separate my body from my uniform. Making it exist _with_ me and not as _a part_ of me." He happily explained. When Raven still looked confused and slightly worried for Danny's sanity. The ghost teen merely rolled his eyes and threw his arms up in the air.

"Don't you get it? I can take off my ghost clothes now!"

Right as he said that, Cyborg walked in, paused, and all three Titans blushed.

"I don't even want to know." Cy said firmly before doing a one-eighty and walking back out.

Danny looked like he was about to die of complete mortification, "Cy! That's not what I meant!" He screamed, snatching his glove back, Danny flew out the doors to chase after the mechanical teen. Safely alone, Raven gave in and broke down laughing.

**October 31****st**

_Halloween, sometime between season two and three…_

"Danny, hurry up!" Cyborg called as he stood outside the teen's door.

"I am not going out like this!"

Cyborg heard the halfa holler. "Oh, yes you are. If you don't, Starfire will kick your ass." Cyborg sang not at all upset at his friends' distress.

The door opened and two neon amethyst eyes were glaring at him.

"I'm going to kick Beastboy's ass for introducing her to manga." Danny growled.

Cyborg smirked, "Whatever you say, Kiryu."

The party was being held at a warehouse on the waterfront when the Titan guys pulled up and got out of the car. Already the pulsing sounds of scary music and bright strobe lights could be heard and seen. Outside teens and young college students mulled about, drinking, eating candy and complementing each other on their outfits. Or fangirling or fanboying out. Danny felt his insides clench in nervousness as Cyborg patted him on the back.

"Come on, man. It'll be fun."

"I hate your face."

In the distance, Starfire gave a scream and flew up to them, her hair a long bright pink and the gold crown fitting perfectly as her pink dress flowed beautifully around her.

"Danny! You wore it! I'm so happy, please do you have the Bloody Rose gun?" She asked, her eyes imploring as the light pink blush dusting her skin made her sparkle in the moonlight.

"I do, Princess Bubblegum." He answered before opening his fitted night class uniform jacket to show the weapon safely tucked in its holster. Starfire grinned and then turned to Robin and blushed.

"Robin, who are you?"

Robin smirked, "I'm Sherlock Holmes." He said brushing a loose black curl out of his face and straightening his blue scarf.

"Where's Raven?" Beastboy asked as they started walking towards the building. Starfire grinned, "She is with Aqualad and Speedy."

"Really, cool! I'm glad they made it, I can't wait to show Aqualad my nunchucks." Beastboy exclaimed.

"Just don't hit anyone with them." Cyborg warned, Beastboy grinned impishly.

"What's wrong? Afraid I'll short circuit you, Frankenstein?"

Heading inside the group moved through the costumed crowd to the tables covered in spider webs and fountains of colored drinks and sweet pastries. Danny scowled at the girls who were already starting to point.

They reached the other three teens and he stopped in front of Raven and felt his mind go blank.

"Who are you supposed to be?" he nearly stuttered. Starfire pulled Raven into a hug and knocked the big red bow to the side of her hair.

"She is Kiki, from Kiki's delivery service!" Star laughed causing several boys nearby to choke on their drinks.

Raven rolled her eyes, "We watched the movie a couple nights ago." She explained, straightening her purple dress and fixing her broom. Off to the side, Danny heard Beastboy and Aqualad start arguing.

"Why are you wearing a giant turtle shell and orange mask?"

"Dude, I'm Michelangelo! Who are you supposed to be?"

"Loki, of course." Aqualad replied indignantly, his green and gold armor casting dangerous shadows across his skin while several girls swooned.

"But he's a villain!"

Danny found himself smiling fondly, turning when Speedy, who was dressed like Link ears and all, tapped his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"I believe I have something of yours." He said before pointing to the shadows and Danny rushed forward.

"Wulf!" He happily called, watching as the big canine bounded over, making the teens jump out of the way their eyes wide in fear.

"_Friend!" _

"_Why are you wearing toilet paper?"_ Danny asked once he could breathe again.

Wulf rubbed one bound white ear and gave a fanged grin that terrified everyone but the halfa. _"Me, mummy."_ Wulf answered.

As the night grew long and darker, the friends found themselves enjoying their time, taking photos with other costumed people, and dancing. (Danny could have done without the pictures but every time he glared the teens only squealed louder and hugged him longer). The guys all surprised everyone when they danced perfectly to Thriller. Starfire made every guy fall in love with her once Danny and Robin taught her the cupid shuffle.

It was amazing and Danny loved it, especially when he persuaded Raven to dance to the cha cha slide…regretting it later when he felt a set of hands grab him _(and no, he did not scream like a girl__,__ Beastboy)_ and Raven's eyes turned red before dragging him into another dance that was far from innocent.

Cyborg and Beastboy had a blast luring teens into the darkness at the entrance next to the fake haunted house where Wulf would be waiting, scaring the people for life by howling at them. And Speedy had already found two or three Zelda's who hung onto his arms.

Finally, the night was winding down. Danny and Robin were resting in a corner after having dodged the rabid fans demanding pictures and their clothes, when Danny suddenly dropped his drink.

"Oh my god…" He breathed, his eyes wide behind the contact lenses.

"What?" Robin asked as the other Titans walked up, Wulf tilting his head to the side.

"Fixit is the DJ!"

**Solitude and Silence**

_Set sometime during Season three…_

There were times, albeit on rare occasions, when Beastboy preferred silence. Not the mediation Raven and Starfire liked to do, or sitting down and reading a good book or solving some equation like Robin and Cyborg preferred to do. But honest to god silence.

Where he could just sit and be still, letting whatever sounds were around wash over him. Granted, these were _extremely rare times_ as he stated above, so often one of his friends would find him on the roof and Beastboy would act like it was nothing.

But ever since Danny moved in, the changeling had been drawn to the halfas room. Beastboy didn't really know why, maybe it was because Danny had let him and Starfire crash there without any problem, or perhaps it was the fact that out of all the rooms in the Tower, Danny's felt… the safest. No, that wasn't right. It held the greatest serenity, if it were possible to describe.

For one thing, aside from a few clothes and sketchpads on the floor by a slightly rumpled bed, Danny's room was perfectly clean. The entire wall on one side was a window since it faced out to the open ocean, and the carpet was a thick white that squished between Beastboy's toes. In fact, nearly all of Danny's room was white. The bed was a soft white with woven blankets of Egyptian cotton while the headboard was a light birch wood with a vine design running through it. The same wood made up the low set coffee table where more sketchbooks and paints were scattered across it, in the built in living room. And if Beastboy leaned a little to the left, he could peer into the far bathroom and see slate grey tiles and bamboo accents.

But more than the colors, it was the smell. Beastboy never really told anyone, but his nose was sensitive even when he was human, to the point where he could smell Cyborg frying bacon three rooms away. And while his room didn't exactly smell pleasant, at least it didn't smell of sizzling skin. However, Danny's room almost didn't have a scent. Sure it smelt of wood, the warm smell of humanity, and ocean salt. But it also reminded Beastboy of the time he'd wandered through a forest grown tall from the bones of man. He could still remember the smell of rich forest life held in the leaves yet smell the strength in the bark and roots within trees. Of chloroplasts and marrow. It was a strange smell and sometimes, when Danny got mad or let go of his aura, it was a terrifying smell that made the changeling's blood sing out. Whispering: You're alive but Death is coming.

It should have freaked Beastboy out but all it made him feel was connected. To everything. So whenever he needed to get away, Beastboy snuck into Danny's room. He let the computer open the three invisible window panes, and sat in silence to sounds of rolling waves and seagulls and breathed in salty air and graveyards.

Of course, sneaking in was another matter entirely. The first couple of times Beastboy managed to get in, he was so scared of being found, it took him nearly ten minutes to relax. But when Danny finally did walk in one evening, he paused in his steps as he observed Beastboy sitting cross legged on the carpet floor staring out his window. Giving the changeling one long look, Danny merely shrugged his shoulders and soon the sounds of pencil brushing paper became a constant noise to accompany the silence of the other sounds. Unknowingly to Danny, Beastboy smiled softly.

The changeling finally realized what he really loved wasn't the silence, it was the solitude.

AN: Artwork for this chapter is on my profile page.


	45. Chapter 36: Is This A Revolution?

_We hold these truths…_

"_I was drunk again, _

_Causing accidents…I think I should be_

_A little more confident in myself,_

_In my skin."_

_~Daughter_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 36: Is This A Revolution?

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Robin asked from where he stood outside Danny's room, watching the ghost teen pack a small backpack. Down the hall, both could hear Cyborg and Beastboy singing an off-key rendition of, 'You're a Grand Old Flag.'

"I'm sure, it's been a year and a half since I last visited my family." Danny said as he zipped up the bag, he was relieved when his voice only sounded slightly strained.

Robin kindly didn't comment on it, instead moving to walk beside Phantom as they made their way to the living room.

"Well, watch your back, alright? Don't hesitate to call."

Danny sent Robin a sidelong glance and gave a fond snort, "you know, I can take care of myself." He said happily.

Robin flushed in embarrassment as the doors opened and Phantom flew into the room.

"Well, I'm off, I'll see you guys in a couple of days and I hope you have a good Fourth of July!" He called. In the kitchen where Cyborg and Beastboy seemed to have gravitated, waved goodbye, then promptly went back to arguing over who was cooking. Starfire got up off the couch and flew up, giving him a firm hug.

"Please, hurry back."

"I will." Danny promised.

Turning to where Raven stood, Danny fidgeted in the air for a moment before forcing himself to land in front of her.

"Um…"

"Tell your family I said hello." Raven quietly said before handing him a small bundle of incense. Danny took it and gave a grateful smile.

"I will. Thank you, Raven." He replied sincerely, giving her a quick hug and brushing his lips against her temple. Danny took off in a burst of speed before she could reply.

It would take a couple of hours of flying at his top speed and three teleportation jumps if he wanted to make it to Amity Park for the fireworks. Nearing the outskirts of Jump, something caught Danny's eyes in the forest below. Making a fast dive, Danny hovered in the canopy of trees, listening intently.

The snap of a twig breaking and Danny was following the strange red ball of light.

"Alright, whoever you are, come out." Danny ordered firmly as he stopped short of an old forgotten cemetery. Phasing through rusting iron bars, Danny felt something prickle in the back of his mind. It was a familiar and unwelcome burn.

"Freakshow?"

"Not quite, lad."

Danny whirled around as a red jeweled cane slammed into his neck. Stunned, Danny hit the dew covered grass, his backpack falling limply from his shoulders. Mad Modd grinned up above him.

"Hello, Phantom, it's good to meet you, formerly o' course." Modd spoke, laughing as he bent down on shaky knees to place a red jewel around the ghosts neck. Groaning slightly in pain, Danny gasped when Mad Modd pressed down on his cane and felt his powers drain out of him, yet get put to use in levitating him to hover over an open grave.

It was an old tomb, Danny noted, one with a marble finish and a statue of a reaper holding a sickle in hand. Sunlight playing off the blade.

"How?" Danny managed to choke out, the old man grinned a feral grin.

"Do you like it? I redesigned my cane! Got more than just technology in here now!"

Releasing the switch, Danny gave a startled cry as he was dropped ungracefully into the marble casket, straight onto a bed of blood blossoms. This time, when Danny screamed, it was in agony, though his body never moved a muscle.

Mad Modd cleaned one ear in annoyance.

"Oie…quiet you!" He ordered and instantly Danny felt himself choke as his voice was snuffed out, with fearful eyes he gazed up from inside the tomb to see the sun starting to set.

"Don't worry, lad. I'm sure your body will go numb in a couple o'hours. 'Specially since I'll be drawin' out your pesky powers with my cane!" Modd explained, his British accent thick with happiness. Danny felt his eyes flare bright green in rage even as the red flower petals stained his pale skin with their poison.

But what Mad Mood did next made Danny's mind seize up in blinding terror.

"Now, lets see what fun I can have with those no good trouble maker friends of yours!"

Then, a four inch slate of rock covered the tomb, plunging Danny's world into darkness.

"Have a Happy Fourth of July!" Mad Modd called as he waved goodbye, cane swinging around and around.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen over Jump City and the place was full of excitement as the people geared up for one of the best firework shows in the nation. Back at the Tower, Robin turned on the security feeds so that they could watch the city and have a small party of their own. Cyborg grinned as he held up a platter full of hot food.<p>

"The burgers are cheesed, the dogs are hot and the fireworks are about to begin, man I love the Fourth of July!"

Sitting on the couch with the rest of her friends, Starfire turned to Robin with innocent eyes. "Please, this is a celebration of the month of July or the number four?" She asked.

Robin chuckled and shook his head, "neither. It's Independence Day, Kind of like America's birthday."

"Oh, should we then bake the America a cake?" She wondered, her mind already going through several Tamaraian recipes that were sure to be tasty.

But before Robin could correct her, Beastboy jumped in with his doodles of revolutionary hamsters drawn as adorable chibi's under Danny's tutelage.

"No cakes and no tea! You see it all started back in 1492 with this tea party…King George or maybe it was King Norm…Anyways, the British were trying to make the colonists drink all this tea but they were like, "dude, no way! We're sick of all your nasty old tea and your crummy English muffins! So they decided revolution!" Beastboy finished with a flare.

Raven leaned over the back of the couch and gave the changeling a curious glance, "Where did you learn history? A cereal box?" She questioned. Beastboy gave her a sheepish grin, his ears turning a darker green.

"Maybe."

"Okay, the fireworks should be starting in five, four, three, two…"Yet before Robin finished the countdown, all the screens on the side windows flickered and then Mad Modd's leering face was smiling at them.

"Hello my duckies, so sorry to interrupt but your revolution will not be televised. Matter of fact, it's been outright cancelled as in, it never happened!"

"Don't look at the screen!" Robin ordered and each Titan covered their eyes as the black and white swirls appeared. Turning they made their way to the underground garage. Robin typing a quick code into his glove and Modd's voice sounded through the Towers speakers.

"You American colonies have been rebellious long enough. I'm reclaiming this city in the name of jolly ol' England! And you lot had best bow down before your new ruler, King Moddy the First…that would be me."

As they hoped into the T-Car, which now looked like a sleek SUV but Cyborg refused to call it anything but, Starfire shook her head in bewilderment.

"I do not understand, aside from his hypno-screens, the Mad Modd does not have the man power to take over our city or even keep it, if the army or Justice League stepped in."

"The dudes missing some marbles Star, I don't think he thought this through." Cyborg replied as they emerged onto the streets of Jump. Robin nodded his head in agreement while pressing his communicator in the passenger seat.

"It doesn't matter what he was thinking, he's still going down. Why hasn't Phantom answered?" Robin suddenly said, clearly frustrated. In the backseat Beastboy shrugged his shoulders.

"Relax, Robin. I'm sure Danny's fine. He probably turned it off for the night. Besides, we can handle Modd."

"Plus, Modd's probably holed up somewhere predictable." Raven added before beginning to list them off. In the car speakers, Modd was moving on from calling the Declaration of Independence lies to trying to make cookies be called biscuits. Cyborg's dashboard flashed.

"I got a lock on his signature, he's using the old subway train system."

Raven rolled her eyes. "See, a train. How original."

A couple of minutes later and the team was bursting through the roof of a moving passenger train to find Modd sitting in the conductor's seat surrounded by his console, red jeweled cane in one hand. Robin glared.

"Class dismissed Modd, you're twisted history lesson is over."

"Oh, is it now, my little snot." Modd growled pressing a button and a glass shield dropped down, Robin just managing to get under it as it cut him off from the team.

Leaping, Robin caught the cane as Modd struggled to hit him with it.

"Aren't you getting a little old for this?"

Modd smirked, "on the contrary laddie, I'm feeling younger by the tick."

Pressing down on the gem, the Titans screamed in horror as they watched Robin's youth drain out of him. So that a peppy British teen with flaming red hair and crooked white teeth stood over an exhausted Robin.

"Ha! Well that will put the peas back in your porridge."

"You will change him back!" Starfire yelled but Modd only sat down in his chair and laughed.

"Sorry, love. But like I've always said, youth is wasted on the young. Goodbye, Titans!" He called, separating the main cart from the rest of the train before speeding away. Robin sat gasping for air as he watched the man swivel happily in his chair.

"Now, let's give these new powers a whirl." And he pressed down on the cane, scarlet light encompassed everything. Modd laughed with maniacal glee. Robin watching as the City began to blur.

Locked away in a tomb full of flowers, Danny struggled to ignore the pain as a thousand needles stung his skin and push the fear of being trapped in this tight space back. Not that Danny hadn't been in claustrophobic places before…i.e. the Fenton Thermos, the Fenton Ghost Weasel… but being buried alive? That was pushing it.

Trying his hardest to move numb limbs, Danny suddenly let out a piercing scream as scarlet energy suddenly surrounded him. It felt as if all his powers were being sliced away from him by using the dullest blade ever found. While he was slowly pulled apart. And when Danny's body unconsciously began to convulse, stirring the petals that made the air damp and left the smell of rot, Danny felt tears stream down his face. Because all of his organs felt like they were melting, they were warm in a way that didn't hurt, but that only made it worse.

For the ectoplasm in his veins seemed to slow and turn papery under cracked skin. Distantly, Danny wondered if he were dying. But that was a faraway thought, especially when unconsciousness blissfully claimed him.

* * *

><p>It was the Fourth of July, and Danny was spending it indoors practicing his swordsmanship. Or rather, deflecting Brother Blood's newest protégé, Bumblebee from zapping him like a bug. Off to the side, Valarie sat, her eyes hawklike and hard behind her visor and next to her, Brother Blood stood, a frown slowly darkening his features.<p>

"Stop!" he ordered and Danny immdiatly pulled up short, "Bumblebee, you aren't attacking enough."

The tall, leanly built girl huffed and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"How can I? When all Shadow does is evade?" She accused, glaring at Danny with her dark brown eyes. Which still told the human that she was still pissed for the time he'd put her in the hospital for a week. But Danny had other problems when he turned to face his teacher.

"She's right, you know. Shadow, I will not tolerate weakness or hesitance in my school. It's one of the reasons I called you back. You haven't even tried to take her head on!"

Danny internally winced at this, and there was a reason he was avoiding Bumblebee's fists. It was because every time she shot him up with electricity, it felt like he was going to hurl. Already it was getting harder to breathe, and Danny was barely managing to keep his shallow breaths a secret from Blood. He really didn't need to add cardiac arrest to his growing problems. Taking an unsteady bow before turning back to Bumblebee, Danny wondered if he was coming down with something.

"Brother Blood," Valarie cut in, "forgive me, but Danny didn't get any sleep last night and I could really use the hand to hand against Bumblebee." She said, looking up to the man. Blood reguarded her silently before he smiled.

"Very well, Shadow, you're done for the night. Try and be productive about it."

Giving a grateful nod, Danny slid the Dragon's Gale back into her sheath and left. When Valarie returned to their room, it was to find Danny dry heaving into the toilet, stomach acid swirling in the water.

"Jeez, Danny. Why didn't you tell Blood you were sick?" She chastised moving to the closet and pulling out a spare towel, she heard Danny give a pitiful groan.

"I felt fine this morning." He mumbled from where he rested on the floor, his face pressed on the cool title as he curled up into a small ball. He looked like the embodiment of misery. Valarie noted as she wrung out the now soaking towel before placing around Danny's neck.

Danny gratefully snuggled into it and closed his pale ice blue eyes, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Fenton." Valarie said, already she could feel her anger from their earlier argument wane as she watched the sweaty, pale teen fall into a light doze on the bathroom floor of all places. Sighing, Valarie stood up, flushed the toilet, and went to get a glass of water for when he woke up. She'd tell him about Bumblebee later.

* * *

><p>When the four Titans emerged from the subway it was to find their entire city looking like an old painting. The buildings were smudged outlines of charcoal black and grey, like one of Danny's sketches, only this one looked much worse. The streets were crumbling cobblestone and the only splashes of color came from the big red double decker buses and the giant British flag which seemed to have replaced the sky.<p>

"Okay, obviously Modd's gone and gotten some actual powers." Raven said as they watched their fellow citygoers wander around speaking in accents. They watched a grubby kid run by with a newspaper, "read al' about it! King Moddie teaches Titans a lesson!"

Cyborg's eyes widened in shock, "Hey, we've been union jacked!" He shouted before giant toy soldiers dressed in red and carrying bayonets came marching down the streets. Cy growled, powering up his sonic canyon, "hit them hard and hit them fast!" He ordered. Then they attacked.

The soldiers, while slow, were insanely strong and Beastboy felt his fists throb in agony as he threw one into a building. He noticed that Starfire and Raven weren't faring any better. And when Cyborg managed to blast a hole in one of the robots chest and it kept walking, Beastboy chuckled nervously.

"Heh, I guess that's British engineering, best in the world?"

Raven glared, "that's Germany, idiot!"

"Stand your ground, we can take them." Cy said but when the sounds of ten more came from down the street, he knew their odds went way down.

"We can't take all of them." Raven answered.

They looked down an empty alley and scrammed as Beastboy screamed. By the time they had effectively hidden from the red coat army, it was well past two a.m. As a clock tower rang in the distance, Beastboy dejectedly kicked a rock into the ocean and turned to the other four Titans as they hid under a bridge which hadn't previously been there before.

"Alright, we need a plan. We need to find Mad Modd, take back the city from whatever he's done with it, and save Robin. I know they're tough but we need to tackle these tin cans head on, full frontal assault." Cyborg suggested, his fists coming together.

"No, we need to find Robin." Starfire corrected, "once his youth is restored he will lead us to victory." She said, her voice confidant.

Raven shook her head, "No, you're both wrong. Mad Modd is behind this; once we destroy his power source, everything will return to normal."

"No way!" Beastboy cut in, "what we need to do is go underground and form a hamster resistance army!"

Quickly, the Titans broke out in an argument of hushed whispers and furious glares until Ravens eyes turned white and the water they were standing next to burst into flames.

"Enough! Arguing solves nothing. We need to pick a plan and stick to it."

Cyborg took a calming breath and nodded, "Raven's right. It may not look like it, but this is still Jump City, this is still America. So I say we vote. Who's up for a full frontal assault?" He asked, raising his hand.

"Save Robin." Starfire voted.

"A sneak attack on Mad Modd." Raven said.

"Gerbil army!" Beastboy put forward before he reconsidered, "actually that would take forever, so I'll go with Starfire's plan."

Cyborg gave a nod as Starfire giggled in glee, "It's your plan. What do you want us to do?"

* * *

><p>Danny awoke on the floor with his left shoulder aching and the taste of dried acid in his mouth. Shakily, he sat up and reached for the now warm glass of water at his side, greedily drinking it down and using the rest to get the rancid taste out. Wrapping himself up in a blanket he only just realized had been draped over him, Danny shuffled out of the bathroom to find Valarie sitting cross-legged on their bed, working on her laptop. She glanced up as he moved in and gave a gentle smile.<p>

"Feeling any better?"

"No." Danny answered and wasn't that the truth. His skin felt hot and sticky yet he was freezing on the inside. Valarie's sharp eyes picking out the goose bumps running across his flesh and the way he shivered minutely. She hopped up and silently commanded he go lie down. Danny did so, unconsciously curling around himself as he fought a wave of nausea. Right when he was on the cusp of sleep, a sharp, pungent smell filled his nose and he opened his eyes to see Valarie holding a tea steeped in a strange leaf.

"Linden leaves, it'll help reduce your fever and stop you from puking." She said, watching the way Danny's nose scrunched up and he burrowed into the blankets. It was absolutely adorable.

"I'm not drinking your weird old tea." He mumbled. Valarie let out a frustrated sigh before sitting on the edge of the bed and hesitantly reached forward, gently she started untangling Danny's midnight hair.

"Danny, it will help. I promise. It's an old recipe my grandpa used to make." She said, trying to coax out the boy she'd fallen in love with. After a few minutes of silence, Valarie watched as one ice blue eye peeked out of the covers before warily he was sitting up and holding out his hand. In half an hour most of the tea was gone and Valarie noted that while Danny still appeared flushed, he was looking healthier. Even though he still pushed the chicken noodle soup around with a spoon, half-heartedly eating it.

"That tea was gross, what was in it again?" He asked, running his tongue over his teeth as if he could still taste it.

Valarie shrugged, "Linden leaves and a few other herbs and spices and Aien root."

"Aien root? I've never heard of that." Danny replied and Val felt uncomfortable for a second.

"It's a plant that grows up north along the east coast. My grandpa use to say it was used to stop ghost sickness, now its only purpose is to ease muscle cramps and ease blood floor. Although it tastes like shit." She said, trying to make a joke but at Danny's horrified look Val knew what was coming.

"Danny…"

"Ghost sickness? Is that what you thought I had? Ghost sickness?!"

"No! Danny, I said that was a suspicion. If anything all it does is help purify the body." She then winced at her poor word choice as Danny's ice blue eyes became stormy.

"Because I know Phantom? My body is tainted by ectoplasm, is that it?"

Valarie felt her anger flare, "I didn't mean it like that."

"You sure implied it." Danny hissed, food now forgotten in favor of trying to stand.

Valarie threw her hands up in surrender and exasperation.

"Fine! I meant it like that, you know Phantom. The only question is how well do you know him?"

Danny leaned against the wall and glared, "Valarie, I already told you, Phantom is…"

"The ghost you met after your parents turned on the ghost portal! Who you still, but rarely, speak to anymore. But has it ever occurred to you that other people might not see it that way?" She nearly yelled, her heart hammering in worry. She watched as Danny's eyes clouded in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Val?" He asked and Valarie sagged in exhaustion.

"I'm talking about Bumblebee, she already has it out for you. Why not raise questions about your loyalties? I'm talking about Brother Blood using you. Hell, I'm even talking about the GiW, if they ever manage to pull their thumbs out of their asses and notice that wherever Danny Fenton goes Danny Phantom is sure to follow. Like a craze stalker boyfriend." Valarie said, laying bare all her fears for Danny. But not her nightmares. Not the ones where she was too late to save him. Or how Danny died in her arms from ectoplasmic burns. Or how he bled to death from ghost sickness as his organs turned to boiled mush.

No, she wouldn't tell him that.

* * *

><p>The Titans had searched up and down all of Jump City, finding nothing but toy soldiers and rotten smelling fish.<p>

"I got a lock on robin's locator, dead ahead." Cyborg said.

Starfire gasped when she saw Robin high up in a bell tower. She took off at her top speed. Only when she reached him, her hands passed right through and the hologram cut off, Star looked down and grabbed his communicator before the building exploded.

She landed down in the town square as her teammates joined her. Mad Modd coming up over the big scream.

"I'm afraid not pet, Ol' Robin's here with me. But it looks like you lot have wandered into a trap."

Then they were surrounded by red coats and tanks.

"I do not think my plan is going to work." Star said as they backed up.

"You know, there's an old British sayin' _'those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it._' Fire!" Modd ordered.

Cyborg aimed his weapon and shot back, "Who votes for a full frontal assault!" he yelled, charging at the nearest robot. Attacking the robots was nearly impossible as they simply wouldn't stay down. Cyborg felt his lungs heaving after the fifth attack.

"Keep fighting, we're going to win!"

"You sure about that?" Raven asked and Cyborg turned to see fifty more windup toys heading their way.

"Okay…so much for my plan."

Thirty minutes later, the Titans found an abandoned building closed by the orders of, 'King Modd' and Cyborg broke the chains and pushed open the doors.

"City Hall, we should be able to hide here…'til Mad Modd's tanks come to tear it down."

Raven lowered her hood in astonishment, "Woah, that was actually more depressing then what I was going to say." She admitted as they walked further inside, Starfire hovering in front of them.

"Do not despair, we will rescue Robin and save the city and stop the Mad Modd. Somehow." She added before glumly touching back down on the wooden floor.

Beastboy sat down and his ears drooped, "well let's face it, that's two plans down and mines just plain stupid. It requires too much shaving cream." He admitted.

"It wouldn't be any more successful than mine, "Raven dejectedly replied, "If there's one thing Modd's good at, it's deception. Trying to sneak up on him would be useless."

"Now I know how George Washington felt when Napoleon beat him at Pearl Harbor." Beastboy said before sinking down on the floor. Next to him, Cyborg let out a growl of frustration.

"Why isn't anything working? We're dealing with a scrawny little stick man with a tricked out cane! Why can't we bring him down?" He yelled, his fists clenching out of anger when Starfire cut in, her bell like voice firm and clear.

"Because the Mad Modd was right."

"The American Revolution really was a hoax?" Beastboy exclaimed.

But Starfire shook her head and turned to look at a copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging on the wall.

"No, he said: _those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it._ We have failed to understand the history Mad Modd is attempting to rewrite. Your democracy is not merely about voting, it is about _compromise_. Out of many different people, you make one country, out of many flawed ideas you create one that works."

The Titans eyes became alight with realization and surety.

"We don't need four different plans," Cy started.

"We just need one." Raven finished.

Beastboy grinned and they set to work.

* * *

><p>A celebration parade was going on in the streets in honor of King Modd, the toy soldiers marching in single file as the tanks followed and behind them on an open palanquin being held up with a balloon was King Modd as he laughed joyously, tapping his foot along to the music. The hypnotized people off the sides watching the procession with blank stares.<p>

"That's right, me duckies. You love King Moddie, you love being Brits. Silly ol' America is a thing of the past." Modd declared before looking behind him to Robin who was struggling to get out of the chair. His frail arms unable to support him.

Modd smirked and leaned over to taunt him, "I'd bed you'd like this," He said waving the cane in the air, "Wouldn't you, ol'chum. Well go on, what's stopping you?"

Near the intersection one screen exploded, setting off a chain reaction, halting the procession of toy soldiers and bringing Modd's cart to a halt.

"What! Hey, who told you lot to stop?" Modd yelled, when black magic encompassed every hypno-screen cracking them and the people came to with a snap, Modd watched on as the police could be heard ordering people to evacuate and get inside. Clearing the streets as the Titans landed, Cyborg destroyed the balloon holding the cart aloft and Modd let out a scream as it crashed onto the pavement.

"Man, I bet even real British people don't like you."

Regaining some of his composure, Mad Modd straightened his crown and stood up. "A frontal assault? Haven't you sprogs tried that already?"

Cyborg fired his sonic canyon out of spite.

"Right, destroy 'hem!" Mad Modd ordered turning himself into a fluffy dust bunny that looked like the flag in the sky.

Diving into the fray, Starfire took on the planes flying in the sky as Raven sliced apart the tanks. Leaving Cyborg and Beastboy to handle the ground troops. Yet even as they continued to destroy ten, Mad Modd would summon more as he studied a chessboard with the Titans as the chess pieces.

He clapped his hands together and stomped his feet. "Jolly good boys, show these yanks whose King around here!" When Robin heard Starfire cry out as she plummeted from the sky, he clenched his fists, rage boiling in his blood. Smiling, Mad Modd turned himself back as he strolled up to the captured Titans being held by his soldiers.

"What a surprise, my duckies, your little plan didn't work. Say, where's the green one? Run away, has he?"

Starfire opened her eyes, "the green one is our plan! Beastboy, go!"

From the sky a flying squirrel dropped down and attached himself to Mad Modd's face, tiny claws drawing up beads of blood as the man howled in pain. Distracted, Modd didn't see when Cyborg's remote controlled arm swooped in and grabbed his cane. Modd gasped, and ripped the squirrel off, watching as his cane shot through the air.

"Shoot it down!" He ordered and one toy soldier fired, hitting Cy's arm, it went limp and Mad Modd dashed towards it, his hand outstretched when one, shaking, black gloved fist closed around it.

Mad Modd stumbled to a stop to gaze up at one smirking Robin.

"Now, now, old bean, let's not do anything hasty…"

Robin pressed the jewel and in a flash, the teen stood once again, sixteen, with raven black hair and strong. While Mad Modd sank to his knees a sixty-six year old once more. Then, Robin turned, slamming the jeweled cane onto the ground as Modd screamed, watching the red gem shatter into a thousand pieces. Everything vanished in a swirl of red light and Jump City was once more safe. The people flooding the streets, cheering.

* * *

><p>Danny dropped down out of the vent system into a storage closet near his and Valarie's dorm room. Finally, he had all he needed. Exiting the room, Danny gasped when a wave of dizziness caused everything to spin, and his nearly empty stomach flip flop uneasily. The device safely hidden behind one ear gave a painful throb and that was when he knew. Straightening up from where he'd been slumped against the wall, Danny took a breath and started for the exit, never noticing a pair of dark brown eyes tracking his every move.<p>

Following the pull in his mind, Danny pushed open rusting iron gates of an old cemetery and rounded the corner to find a familiar backpack laying on the ground. His other half was here. Bending down, Danny picked it up before his trained eyes saw the indentions of shoes in wet grass and the scrape marks on the tombstone slab. Placing the flash drive in the side pocket, Danny pulled out the Titans communicator, now white and black, and pressed the emergency beacon. Feeling the pain intensify, Danny took a breath and wiped away the growing tears.

"I'm sorry, this is all I can do. Hold out for a little bit longer." Then like a shadow, the human disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Mad Modd smiled uneasily through rotted yellow teeth as Robin scowled.<p>

"Hello gov'nor."

"Just like old times, huh?" Robin smirked before handing the man over to the police as Starfire flew up and embraced him.

"Robin, you are unwrinkled!"

"What took you guys so long?" Robin asked in exasperation, though it was tinged with fondness.

"We just needed a little time to brush up on our history." Beastboy answered when Starfire pulled away, "Ah, Robin." She said, pointing to his communicator. Robin gasped, "Phantom's activated his emergency beacon, come on!"

The Titans found themselves in the graveyard, feeling the early morning chill caress their skin.

"Dude, this place is creepy." Beastboy said as he looked at all the old tombstones.

"Speak for yourself." Raven answered as they rounded the corner and saw Danny's backpack sprawled across an old marble grave, a grim reaper guarding over it, his communicator thrown across the steps.

"What Mad Modd did must have disrupted its signal." Cyborg answered picking it up.

"But I do not see friend Phantom anywhere." Starfire said, looking around her eyes filled with worry.

Robin studied the grave for a moment before his lips parted in realization.

"That's because he's not. He's below us, help me get this off." Robin ordered and together he and Cyborg shoved the slab of stone away.

The other Titans gasped.

"Is he alright?" Beastboy asked as Starfire reached in and lifted their friends' unconscious form out, the petals falling away.

"I cannot tell, Cyborg?" Star replied, the mechanical teen stepping forward, beginning his scans. While the team watched on in silence, Raven tried to quell the growing panic in her heart when she noticed that he wasn't breathing. And, that without his unearthly glow, now, Danny looked human. Like a corpse. She thought numbly, his skin was a deathly white, with angry red lines spreading out like spider webs, and his lips were a sickly green. As if the ectoplasm in his body had simply hardened or turned thick as stilled blood. It was then she noticed the dull gem wrapped around his neck. Without even thinking, Raven had it off of him in a blast of black magic before crushing it to bits. Robin, Starfire, and Beastboy sent her grateful looks when Cyborg gave an 'ah hah' sound.

"Something's disrupting his powers and from these reading it's those plants!" He said, moving to cover the grave up with Star's help. The petals safely entombed in eight inch rock, the team all let out relieved breaths when green eyes blinked open, a faint aura slowly beginning to encompass the teen as he began to hover a few inches off the ground.

"Ugh, what happened?" Danny groaned before gripping his throat for it felt like someone had rubbed it down with sandpaper.

"I had the strangest dream…all of you were in it, except Robin, you were an old man, and Cyborg was screaming something about tearing down city hall." Danny mumbled, sitting up to regard his friends curiously.

"Mad Modd attacked the city, and I guess we've answered where he got all that extra juice from." Robin explained. Danny's eyes widened comically, when the sound of fireworks exploding caught the teams' attention and they all looked up to see the sky a light in color.

"Well, he couldn't have been too hard to beat, since we haven't even missed the show." Danny happily replied, Cyborg took one look at the ghost teen and punched him in the jaw.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Principle, man. We just spent the last six hours taking Modd down with your powers and his weird reality bending crap."

Danny fingered his jaw tenderly, "But I can't bend reality."

"Yeah well, him having an endless supply of ectoplasm sure didn't help." Robin added as he sat down on the grass next to Starfire. Raven coming to lean on Danny as Cyborg settled down in the grass next to Beastboy, who let out a snort, then full out laughed.

"What?" Danny asked before meeting those hazel green eyes and felt dread race down his spine.

"Dude, you were like Mad Modd's go to energizer bunny!"

"_Beastboy!"_

* * *

><p>When Danny entered into the school, it was to find Brother Blood striding towards him along with Bumblebee, who was looking smug.<p>

"Sensei." Danny said, bowing, already he could feel the sickness that had gripped his insides being to pass.

"Follow me." Blood ordered, before turning sharply to the left and Danny felt dread wash over him. But he obediently followed, falling in step with Bumblebee.

"You are feeling better I assume?" Blood asked not breaking his stride.

Danny hesitated a moment, "yes. I am, thank you."

"Hm. And I assume you used your time to be productive?"

"I did."

"Good."

They entered into the main chamber of the school, the two way panels showing the sea life around them. Blood stopped walking when he reached his chair and when he turned and faced them, Danny felt his dread turn to ice.

"Then why don't you explain to me why you sought to give out classified information to the Teen Titans?" Blood screamed and Danny let out a sharp cry as blood red eyes tore into his mind.

"I didn't!" He gasped out the second Blood released him.

"Liar, I saw you enter that cemetery with a drive. What were you planning on doing once you got back? Blow up our school and escape with that honorary Titan Aqualad?" Bumblebee accused.

Danny's mind was reeling but he vehemently shook his head.

"No."

Blood's eyes widened marginally before they narrowed and Danny realized all too late what he'd done. He lied.

Deathly calm, Brother Blood met Bumblebees eyes.

"That will be all. You are dismissed."

Turning, Bumblebee caught out of the corner or her eye as Danny stood, his mask unraveling and falling around his neck as his scared ice blue eyes met Blood's.

"Sensei, I…"

Bumblebee winced as she heard the crack of bone meeting bone followed by Danny's screams. Closing the doors she kept walking, feeling the bile in the back of her throat. Rounding the corner on numb feet, Bumblebee was startled out of her guilt when the Red Huntress rounded the corner.

"There, finally finished. Oh, hey Bee, I finished repairing the section that Aqualad destroyed. What about you?"

Bumblebee forced a smile and nodded, "yeah, I just got done myself."

"Hey, have you seen Shadow? He wasn't feeling well earlier and I'm worried."

"He's with Blood…being tried for treason."

The tool box Valarie had been holding hit the floor and Bumblebee watched as the young woman tore through the hallways. She felt the tears start to fall then.

"I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry."

* * *

><p>Danny knew he was screaming, only it didn't sound like it was coming from his mouth. With a crack, Danny felt Blood release his mind and his body collapsed on the floor. Mind blank, lungs desperately trying to function. Above him, Blood angrily paced.<p>

"I knew it was too good to be true. I gave you freedom, and this is what you do with it." Blood said pityingly and he flicked his wrist and fire erupted down Danny's spine.

"Please, I haven't betrayed you!"

Blood sighed, "People will believe anything when they are being tortured, Danny. Even lies they tell themselves."

This time muscles locked together and Danny nearly felt himself black out. Blood looked on in sadness.

"I've no one to blame but myself."

Turning away, Danny saw his only chance, and pulling the ornate dagger from where it was safely tucked away in his sleeve, Danny tackled Blood from behind. It was a desperate move. Gutsy. And exactly what that arrogant little Robin had once done to him.

Blood, stunned by the influx of memories, toppled to the ground and when he rolled over, it was to see Danny leaning over him, his entire body wracked in pain as he pressed the blade firmly to his neck, drawing forth a steady stream of red liquid.

Blood lifted one eyebrow, for he saw in those ice blue eyes only fear.

"What are you waiting for, child?"

"I did not betray you, sensei. I did go to the cemetery and I did leave information for a _Titan_ to find." He stressed, and Blood's eyes widened hearing complete honesty in those words.

"Go on."

"You don't know what files were stolen from the mainframe. Well, I do. It was energy output schematics and cloaking technology so that we would stay off the grid and off the Titans radar." Danny explained, the blade still firmly in place especially when Blood's eyes turned dark red.

"And why would this Titan do that?" He sneered.

Danny growled, "Because I'm the only family he has left!"

And with this, the blade clattered to the floor as Danny stood up. Shocked, Brother Blood slowly followed, his eyes gazing at Danny as if for the first time.

"Family?"

Danny let out an annoyed breath, even as the last of Blood's powers fled leaving behind a bone deep ache, yet he still managed to stay on his feet and shoot the man a fierce glare.

"Yes, I'm connected to Phantom. Why do you think I can't fight Robin? Or why I choose not to use my lightening abilities? It's because of Phantom. If he gets sick, I get sick. If I get hurt, so does he."

Silently, Blood picked up the beautiful dagger, watching as Danny eyed him warily but Blood only smiled and handed it back. "I truly have one remarkable student."

"You better mean me." Danny grouched and Blood let out a laugh.

"I do! Now go catch up on your sleep you can have tomorrow off."

"Gee, thanks." Danny said sarcastically but Blood only smiled before shooing the teen away.

When Danny left the room, it was to find Valarie waiting for him. She met his eyes and stalked off.

"Valarie, wait!" Danny called catching up to her. Val spun around and slammed her fist into the wall.

"Don't. You lied to me. You had ghost sickness. Because, as it turns out, Phantom is your family!" She hissed, her voice trembling.

"I'm sorry." Danny started, his heart clenching painfully in his chest but Valarie only shook her head, golden eyes burning.

"No! You don't get to be sorry, or are you forgetting that he's the reason your entire family is dead?!" She screamed before storming away. Leaving Danny breathless, for it felt like she'd sucker punched him in the gut and not even Blood's torturing him hurt this bad.

Many moments later, once Danny was sure he was in control of himself, he sought Bumblebee out. She was in her room when he found her, and the second the door opened, Danny had her slammed against the wall, covering her mouth with his hand, motioning for her to be silent. Bumblebee could only give a small nod and watched as the boy in front of her pulled out a small device. He threw it on the ground and in a flash, a thin blue shield covered the room. Danny released her and took a step back.

"Telekinetic shield, to all prying mind's we're studying."

"Who are you?" Bumblebee demanded and Danny tilted his head to the side.

"I think I should be asking that. You nearly got me killed but you aren't under Brother Blood's control." He stated his ice blue eyes searching and Bumblebee forced the guilt away and crossed her arms.

"Of course I'm not, like I'd let that creep control me."

"Then I'll ask again, who are you? Because I know for a fact that what I stole wasn't found otherwise I'd be dead right now and Blood would be coming after you."

"I went after the weapons blueprints for Blood's new sonic resonator. I managed to get the plans to Aqualad before we were caught." Bumblebee replied before she froze.

"Wait a second, what data did you steal? You're a double agent?!" She exclaimed.

Danny smiled, "I am."

Bumblebee took a step back and gave a low whistle, "Damn, I thought you were his loyal dog 'til death."

He chuckled at her words, "I'm not. Some of what I gave Phantom was the entire school layout, so please tell me Aqualad's planning on asking the Titans for help?" Danny said.

Bumblebee nodded, "He's on his way their now." She answered.

Danny looked to the clock sitting on the nightstand. Five a.m.

"Then we have until tonight to come up with a plan." He said.

* * *

><p>AN: Things are coming to a close, what will happen?! Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you review!<p>

Fun Facts:

Aien Root- it is a made up plant to fight against Ghost Sickness (five points to whoever can figure out where I stole this idea from) although in this story Ghost Sickness only causes, fever, vomiting, and your bodies internal organs to turn into mush. Hey, if Blood Blossoms hurt ghosts some other plants must help humans, right?

The word Titans vs. Titan- Danny lied to Blood when he said he didn't go to the cemetery but he's telling the truth about only visiting one titan, (just omitting that Robin knows about this plan). Plus, Danny has never 'betrayed' Brother Blood because he was never loyal to him in the first place.

~Rin

Next Chapter: Coming Storms


	46. Chapter 37: Coming Storms

_And if the night is burning…_

"_God bless us, everyone, _

_We're a broken people living under loaded gun._

_And it can't be outfought. It can't be outdone._

_It can't be outmatched. It can't be outrun. No._

_And when I close my eyes tonight, _

_Two symphonies of blinding light."_

_~Linkin Park_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 37: Coming Storms

The black water was shimmering from moonlight. Tides moving to and fro in an endless rhythm. It helped ease Danny's troubled soul as he looked out his window from where he sat hovering above his bed in the lotus pose. Midnight had come and gone, and Titans Tower was silent and dark as five teens slept. Sadly, Danny wasn't one of them. Sighing, he ran a hand through snow white locks and frowned. Ever since this mission began, Danny couldn't help but focus on the changes. For one, he was a ghost. Not a shadow or a clone like before. But a full-ghost. And it terrified him.

One of the first things that went was his need for sleep. Instead, Danny found that simply resting in his room, listening and taking in the energy around him worked just as well. Yet whenever he could, Danny would place a hand over his empathic device and only then would he feel truly relaxed. It probably had something to do with ghosts feeding on powerful emotions, but he really didn't want to think about that.

So sleep was out for the ghost teen and the next that had followed was food. Honestly, Danny can't really recall when that one had started. Since there had been times when he had been with Tucker and Sam that he would eat like a horse, and other times when he couldn't even tolerate the smell of food. Now however, Danny found himself downing smoothies, hot chocolate and fruit on the rare times he entered the kitchen.

When Starfire had noticed his sweet tooth she'd gone and gotten him strawberry pocky. Danny flipped out, said thank you until he had no air left in his lungs to work his vocal cords, and had polished off the box in an hour. Again, it probably had something to do with him feeding off energy and since sugar helped simulate all the happy addicting and positive places in the brain…Danny figured it was better than craving misery like Spectra and most of his other enemies.

He was horribly confused, though. Because if he needed energy from his environment, from people, from nature (and pocky) then was he like all his enemies who held obsessions and who had died in the Real World? Was he parasitic? Or was he what Frostbite called him, a true being born of the Ghost Zone and belonging as wholly to it as to the Real World? Danny didn't know how to feel about either.

But if he had to choose, being like Pandora or Frostbite was better. Especially since it didn't feel like he had an obsession. (Pocky aside) Yet still, there was more. Like how certain powers were leveling out, how everything seemed sharper, vibrant. As if he'd been wearing Tucker's glasses for far too long. And the greatest of all was…well, the best Danny could describe it was actually _seeing_ energy. The auras surrounding every living thing. Not simply around his friends, but trees, animals, even the steel of buildings and stone.

Everything was energy, and the first time it started happening, it left Danny with a massive headache and stuck in his room. He finally knew what Pandora meant when she said ghosts kept naturally strong mental shields. Because simply seeing and feeling all these swirling colors was more than enough. He didn't even want to think about how painful it would have been if he'd been able to pick up thoughts.

Now, however, Danny found this new sense wonderful. Ironically, the first place he'd run off to when the pain had become too much…was a tree. Danny felt himself flush green at the memory (if Sam were alive he'd never live it down) but it had been a middle-aged Ash tree. With solid bark and a steady patience as it grew both towards the sun and deep into the earth. It was a sturdy presence. Aware. Full of indecipherable memories but memories nonetheless. And from it, Danny felt all life moving out and through it. Every cell, drop of sunlight, leaf, and insect walking across it.

Yet greater still was how it was alive yet dead. The bark under-hand was so solid, the leaves delicate things, and the roots ever thirsty. A strange thread running up and down at the core of the tree that didn't feel like it solely belonged to the tree. If Danny gave it a color he would think it silver. For the trees aura seemed born of the thread. Or perhaps the tree had wrapped itself around the thread instead? Danny could never be sure but it made something inside him resonate in remembrance. Or maybe harmonize. Music. He could certainly hear notes.

Enchanting. That was the only way Danny could describe it. And when he'd woken up from the spell; drowsy and content, he wasn't sure how much time had passed. (Although he's pretty sure some teens videotaped him as Danny Phantom tree hugging…god, that's embarrassing.) The benefits that came from that however were great. Since it hurt less to look at his friends. Now all Danny could do was stare at them. Which freaked Beastboy out to no end. But it was so fascinating! Watching how there auras changed naturally, or when they interacted with one another. Like when Starfire gave each of them hugs and she seemed to warm like the sunset in vibrant golden pink hues (which nearly made Danny drunk as a skunk and he had to go pass out in his room after taking a handful of aspirin) Then there was Beastboy whose aura changed with each animal he turned into. But how underneath, it stayed a tempered yellow. Danny had been surprised that it wasn't green but he figured the rest of him more than made up for it. But whenever Cyborg entered the room and both of them turned to play video games or try their latest pranks, their energy would swirl into orange and red.

Cyborg's aura was different. A strange mixture of man and machine. He shown brighter than the others like a florescent light, and lines of blue light flowed through him, humming just like the Tower in beautiful droning tones. Robin's energy was strange. Like it had been refined and honed into malleable stone, yet at times it would move like an ever changing river. Strong enough to affect everyone around him. Then there was Raven. She was like a black opal holding her energy inside. So that each color twinkled like wisps of starlight. When she had caught him starring, Danny had sputtered before Beastboy made kissing noises. Both he and Raven had punched the changeling.

Since well, Danny really didn't know where they stood since the kiss. He felt horribly conflicted and Raven hadn't brought it up again, so now he only felt confusion. And guilt. That was the other emotion burning inside him as well. Sam and the vague image of Valarie and doubt that Raven really might not like him…Danny shook his head, forcing those thoughts out. And he turned his eyes on the glass of the Tower, to his own reflection as Phantom. Lastly, to his own aura.

It was white.

That's all it was. A sturdy, glowing, unearthly white. It meant death. Plain and simple. Danny had looked it up, finding nearly all ancient civilizations, people who were psychics or who claimed to be psychic, associated white with the afterlife. Danny couldn't blame them. For even when Starfire hugged him, or Robin tested some experiment with him, or if Beastboy and Cyborg even played a prank on him; his aura always remained white.

Even when theirs changed. Danny didn't know what to make of that. If his energy never changed, then was he even here? But he affected those around him. And the tree hadn't been upset when he'd approached. It had simply seemed to slow down what it was doing. Taking its time since it wasn't in a hurry to die further even as its growth did just that.

Plus, the scary part was at some point, Danny thought the tree had started taking _his_ energy…which might explain why he'd craved four boxes of poptarts, ten fruit tarts (with custard filing _not_ whip cream) and a half a bag of skittles, minus the green ones which he'd given to Beastboy. Man, no wonder all the ghosts that came to the Real World started attacking humans. Life (that strange thread of silver or whatever it may have been) was draining. Still, Danny really hoped his human side had a vibrant aura. That he even _had_ a human aura.

Beginning to panic, Danny shook his head again, running a hand fiercely through snow white hair. "Calm down, Fenton. Remember, you're a Halfa. A human and a ghost." Frowning slightly, a vague thought started taking form, tugging at the back of Danny's consciousness. When the alarm went off, blaring as red light filled Titans Tower. The thought fled and Phantom left his room.

* * *

><p>Danny flew through corridors, emerging in the main hallway right as Robin ordered the team to be prepared. Then the doors were smashed open and Danny recognized Aqualad even before the Atlantian stepped out of the shadows, dripping water and covered in seaweed. Everyone's energies swirled in astonishment and confusion.<p>

Aqualad merely glared, "Your trash is in my ocean and I want it out."

Beastboy gave a strange noise and tilted his head, "Uh, not to sound offensive but we've been dumping trash in the oceans for years. Well, insensitive humans at least." He corrected.

This only seemed to tick the Atlantian off even more, but he sighed and walked forward, pulling off the seaweed as he did. "That's not what I meant." He said before holding up a blue disk. Robin nodded his head and they headed for the elevators. Everyone was tense as they sat in the living room. Robin and Cyborg choosing to stand as Starfire, Raven and Beastboy took up the couch. Danny deciding to float cross-legged next to the Tamaranian, watching as Aqualad pulled up the schematics for a massive dome building. Briefly, Danny felt a flash of familiarity, of gold plated rooms and blue waters. Of blood and sweat and fear. Valarie.

Taking a breath, Danny fought his minds emotions of dwelling too long on them, like a being who had time, and focused on Aqualad's new aura. The Atlantian smelled of salt and his energy cascaded around him like currents of aggravated waters, so dark the murky energy appeared to be black. It felt cool as it brushed up against Danny's mind, making the full-ghost feel all too much like a man emerging from the desert and onto beach shores. In a few moments, Danny began to discern the Atlantians voice as he spoke to the team, fully drawing Danny back into the present.

"An undersea fortress, fifty miles of the coast, built by the former Headmaster of the HIVE Academy Brother Blood. I'm pretty sure you guys have already met." Aqualad stated, the screen changing to show the smirking man and Danny felt rage color his mind even as Cyborg growled in agreement, crossing his arms angrily.

"Yeah, we go way back. After Danny snuck me in, I went undercover as one of his brainwashed students but after I destroyed his school, we kind of lost touch." He replied and Danny was thankful no one was looking at him and for the fact that Raven couldn't sense his emotions at the moment. For even as they talked, Danny could feel a growing sense of urgency. To _go_ and to _hurry_. Aqualad's eyes sharpened.

"Because Blood moved out of your neighborhood and into mine." He stated, his energy becoming frustrated and filled with shame.

"I tried to take him down on my own but Blood used his powers to jam my telepathy with no fish helping me…"

"You got schooled." Beastboy said, leaning back in the cushions.

"Pun fully intended." Danny mumbled causing the changeling to shoot him a sidelong glance that quickly morphed into concern.

"Danny, are you alright?" He asked. Feeling the eyes of everyone on him, Danny forced himself to relax and tone down how brightly his aura had been turning.

"Yeah. Please continue."

"I was able to contact an agent within the HIVE and find out what the fortress was hiding." Aqualad said causing Danny and Robin to temporarily tense until the display changed showing the schematics for a massive weapon.

"A sonic resonator. Capable of creating a tidal wave big enough to wipe out your entire city." Aqualad explained, as it projected the devastation, leaving nothing behind.

Cyborg's eyes widened in realization, "Yo, that's not just any sonic resonator, that's my _sonic canon!" _He yelled pointing angrily to the screen.

"When you hacked into the HIVE computer, the HIVE hacked into you. Blood downloaded everything in your schematic central database." Aqualad explained to a fuming mad teen.

"He read my blueprints? _My private blueprints!"_ Cyborg screamed looking to be on the verge of having an aneurism and Danny could nearly see the flames that surrounded his aura, red and violent and filled with vendetta.

"And he's using your technology to attack the city." Raven stated.

"Then this is my mission. I'm taking Blood down with my own two hands. Alright y'all, listen up! While I go after him y'all are gonna…"

"Cyborg." Robin ordered, cutting the ranting teen off. Robin's energy clear and decisive. "They're your blueprints, so you're the only one who can shut down the resonator. While you're doing that we will capture Blood."

Danny watched as something fractured in his friend. "No man, c'mon, this is personal. Just give me a chance to…"

"There's no time. The resonator will be fully operational by sunset." Aqualad interjected.

"Okay Titans, here's what we need to do." Robin started going over the school blueprints that the full-ghost knew his human-half had given on the night Mad Modd had sealed him in that tomb, and Danny only paid attention to the important parts.

"Aqualad and Beastboy, you need to take out the force field that protects the sonic resonator. Phantom, Starfire, Raven and I will capture Brother Blood and provide the diversion necessary so that Cyborg, you can get to the resonator core and shut it down. Here's the layout of the school, we'll need to enter here…"

Danny's attention was on Cyborg. Watching how the fissures in his energy continued to form, scraping against Robin's immobile will.

Within the hour the Titans were in the T-Sub, diving into the ocean alongside Aqualad and Beastboy as the green shark cut through the water. Deeper they travelled, darkness encompassing everything in a way the lights couldn't illuminate. Already the ship had passed the canyons and they were heading further out into the open water.

"Maybe we should pull over and ask directions." Raven said into the headset when Aqualad took a sharp dive around a jutting rock and the team emerged to see the fortress. A glowing blue beacon in the void.

As Danny looked at it he could feel the similar hum that sang in Cyborg. The machine was beautiful, standing twenty stories tall, the school below was separated into ten hubs connected with crisscrossing hallways which headed into the main building. It also made everything inside Danny rebel as the siren call of being complete again sang deep within the ectoplasmic marrow of his bones. Behind one ear, the empathic device gave a painful throb.

* * *

><p>In the school, Blood sat at his chair and smirked, hands clasped together in contemplation. "So the fish scented failure returns. And he's brought our old friend Cyborg, marvelous. I'll finally have a chance to thank him for the use of his blueprints. Bumblebee!"<p>

The young woman stepped forward from where she stood beside Shadow.

"Yes, Sensei?" She asked.

"Release the mind controlled squid." Blood ordered.

She did so, neither she nor Blood noticing when Danny disappeared. Evading all the eyes from the robots and heading into the hall where he broke out in a dead run. The need to find Valarie burning in his chest even though the harrowing call of his ghost-half consumed his senses.

Brother Blood watched as the Titans submarine was destroyed. The green whale swallowing his friends, saving their lives before the green shield surrounding them failed due to the waters crushing pressure. So that was Phantom's power? Impressive. Blood thought, only slightly disappointed when Aqualad managed to crush his latest experiment using the nearby rock formations. No matter, Shadow would deal with Aqualad shortly.

"Shadow," Blood called, waiting for his pupil to appear before him. Only Danny never came and after a couple of minutes of silent brooding, Blood stood up and whirled around in anger.

"Where is he?" He demanded, all of the robots working to find him. Bumblebee was the first to answer.

"Heading to the southwest wing where Red Huntress is programming the last of the codes for the living quarters." She said and Brother Blood found himself having to control his rage.

"So it would seem he disobeys me yet again. Freedom is such a flighty thing. Bumblebee, go welcome our former student." At her nod, Brother Blood turned back to the screen, watching as Danny rounded the final corner and skid to a stop in front of his friend. His pupils' usual neutral movements rife with anxiousness. Blood found himself laughing at how easily he'd been betrayed.

"Oh, I do so love the stubborn ones."

* * *

><p>The Titans emerged in a pool of water, Aqualad hopping up after giving the all clear sign and Beastboy opened his mouth. They climbed out, each with distinctly traumatized looks, Raven stabbed a finger at him and glared, "Two words. Breath. Mints." Beastboy grinned sheepishly and handed her back her shoe.<p>

"You all know your assignments." Robin said when the double doors suddenly opened and Raven and Phantom threw up shields as plasma bullets came their way. Cyborg growled and activated his sonic canon.

"Looks like we just had a change of plan."

"You know your missions, move!" Robin ordered.

Danny blasted open the cooling vent and watched as Cyborg disappeared grudgingly into it. Raven dropped her shield and Aqualad and Beastboy dived back into the water. Leaving the four Titans to deal with the guards.

As Cyborg crawled through the air ducts he continued to growl, "Spiky haired little know it all. It's my blueprints, my systems and my bad guy and…" He came to a port that suddenly opened and in a suddenly twist the pipe turned and Cyborg screamed as he fell out of the ceiling and landed in a massive storage room.

The giant monitor turned on and Cyborg heard the sneer in Brother Blood's voice boom all around him.

"Cyborg, so nice of you to drop in. I would take care of you myself but I'm afraid things of greater importance have come up."

"You mean like us taking this place down?" Cyborg snapped turning around to glare up at the man who was busy walking down the long golden hallways. Blood gave a low laugh and shook his head in amusement.

"I'm afraid that will never happen. But do you remember Bumblebee?" He asked, the young woman entering the room, weapons in hand, electricity glowing all around her.

"You were among my top students. But of course, Bumblebee wasn't a spy!" Brother Blood spat.

She attacked and Cyborg was forced to dodge the electricity. Rounding one of the crates, he jumped and landed behind her, back now to Blood and his sonic canon aimed at her chest.

"How's it going, Bee? I haven't seen you since…"

"Since you wrecked our school?" She snapped.

Cyborg shrugged his shoulders, "I was going to say the Sadie Hawkins Dance." He said, memories flashing across her eyes. Of shoes kicked off under the table, to Cyborg helping her look for them while Shadow talked with Jinx, Red laughing as she watched a drunk Gizmo puke in some girls purse. How normal everything felt.

She glared, "You're going to pay for that."

Above them Blood growled, "Bumblebee, less talking, more stinging." He ordered.

Bumblebee charged, slamming Cyborg into the far wall and launching herself from him continuing her assault. Cyborg dodged, leaping up and grabbing hold of one of the fork hooks and swinging around, managing to disarm her. But she threw a crate at him and once Cyborg destroyed it with his canon he realized her distraction as she leapt over him and grabbed her golden weapons taking flight to avoid his next shot.

Cyborg's eyes widened in shock. "You can fly?" He exclaimed as the four wings on her back worked furiously.

"We never had a class together. You don't know what I can do. For example, why do you think they call me Bumblebee!"

The next moments that followed were of Cyborg desperately trying to avoid the tiny girl with a kickass sting as he ran around the room. She pounded him into the ground before changing back. Cyborg stumbling in front of the screen, Brother Blood watched on in anticipation. She fired five more rounds before one missed and the screen blacked out into static.

Blood let out a frustrated sigh but pushed it aside for he pressed the palm key and the doors slid open to the far southwest corridor.

* * *

><p>When Danny rounded the corner he nearly ran headlong into Valarie.<p>

"Danny, what?"

"We need to go, now." He said urgently, his heart hammering beneath his breast. Valarie took one look at him and her eyes narrowed.

"No. I'm not going anywhere with _you_." She said, her voice laced with venom and at the moment Danny could care less. He threw his hands up in the biggest 'fuck it' motion and grabbed Valarie by the shoulders. Startling her as he lightly shook her.

"Then leave without me. But get out, Valarie. Blood has been in our heads this entire time and you need _to get away."_ He stressed. It was as he said this that Valarie began to feel the freezing grip of something in her mind. A cloud that always made her feel cold that she'd always thought had to do with the air in the room begin to clear.

Taking a step away from Danny, Valarie gripped her head as images of red eyes knowingly looked at her, felt what she felt for Danny, dissipated.

"What…" Valarie opened her hazel gold eyes to see with sharper clarity the world around her and to the black clad boy she loved and was still angry at standing before her with panic in his eyes. Yet all that disappeared when a shadow moved behind him.

"_Danny!"_ She screamed.

And Danny lunged forward, slamming into her as Brother Blood punched his red fists through the steel wall. They tumbled to the ground and Danny stood up, drawing forth his sword in a desperate attempt to defend against the Headmaster.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee looked at the destroyed screen and holstered her weapons. "Okay we're…" She kicked Cyborg up and over her when he charged. Turning around she sent him a glare. "Shows over Sparky, drop the act."<p>

"Say what?" Cyborg breathed getting to his knees and sending her a confused look. Bumblebee merely lifted one eyebrow and grinned. "Aqualad told you there was a double agent in the HIVE, right? Well you're looking at her." She said proudly. This time Cyborg stood up and screamed, "Say what?!" Again in pure disbelief.

Rolling her eyes, Bumblebee stepped forward. "Did you think you were the only spy at HIVE academy? I've been working Brother Blood for months. But I do have to give Shadow credit, he's been Blood's right hand for so long that even I was fooled." She commented, clearly impressed. But Cyborg was stunned into inaction. Danny was still a double agent? But that was impossible. That operation ended months ago, Cyborg had purposefully gone in and gotten the halfa out.

However, small tells began to come together in Cyborg's mind. Things that never added up. Danny's sudden mood swings, the way he never ate but always said he was full. How he needed higher concentrations of ectoplasm if he ever became injured. Or the times when it looked like he had trouble staying on the ground, how his human skin sometimes seemed to glow like cracked paint. When Beastboy discovered the teen napping and not breathing. The silver ring lined with ectoplasm that had always been present when in his human form. How the teen never answered direct questions anymore with the truth.

Realization struck Cyborg and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Dear god, Danny was still undercover. He was still using the empathic devices to keep himself apart. Cyborg had pulled Danny out of the HIVE _six months ago_. Or at least, he thought he had. It was then another thought came to mind. The way Robin always looked stressed, as if something were weighing him down. Robin knew. No, worse than that, he'd ordered it. Because the one thing Cyborg could always read on his friends face, was guilt.

Cyborg felt sick. And more than anything he hoped he was wrong and that Bumblebee was simply misinformed. That she was lying. Shaking his head, Cyborg took a step back from her and activated his sonic canon. That Blood was using her to mess with him.

"Sorry Bee, I'm not buying it." He charged at her, but with three quick punches Bumblebee had him on his back, weapons aimed at his heart.

"Think about it, Sparky. If I wasn't on your side, you'd be spare parts by now." She stated, putting away her weapons and extending a hand. "Now if you're done wasting time, why don't we save your city?"

Cyborg regarded her hand but didn't take it as he stood up and brushed himself off. Heading for the door, he didn't look back when he said, "Don't call me Sparky."

Bumblebee rolled her eyes in exasperation at the mechanical teens pride before following him out.

* * *

><p>Down in the underwater pipe system Aqualad and Beastboy were making their way towards the shield generator when two panels opened and robotically controlled piranhas swam out. As if they could get any worse, Beastboy noted as he and Aqualad took off at their top speeds to avoid razor sharp teeth. Right as the Atlantian jumped out of the water, arching elegantly through the air, Beastboy felt sharp teeth embed themselves in his fin. He shot out of the water in a graceless heap, obscenities in the air.<p>

"Ow, get it off!" He screamed, hopping up and down on one leg, the other had a grey scaled fish attached to it.

"Hold still." Aqualad snapped, bending down to get a better look.

"Relax, it only bit through the meat." He said and Beastboy flinched, "I don't care if it bit me in the butt, get it off!"

"Alright." The Atlantian said, prying open its jaws, blood steadily flowing down the changelings' leg. Aqualad chucked the thing back into the water and both teens headed for the machine generating the shield in the far hallway. They took five steps into the crimped metal hallways and the walls slammed closed. Moving in to crush them.

"Shit!" Aqualad yelled slamming his shoulders back into one wall and kicking his feet up to stop the other. Beside him, Beastboy turned into an ox to try and hold it back.

* * *

><p>"Why can't you just admit that you lost?" Bumblebee asked as they walked down one long hallway before turning down another equally identical hallway. Behind her, Cyborg sputtered.<p>

"Because I didn't lose! If that fight was for real, you'd be beeswax." He stated with surety.

"But you thought it was for real." She corrected imagining steam coming from the Titans ears like a train with how ticked off he looked.

"You don't know what I thought." He said, stomping forward.

They came to a stop at two forked paths. Cyborg immediately started scanning the area as Bumblebee mentally laid out the entire school in her mind. Both settled on going in different directions.

"_Follow me."_

Cyborg growled. "The resonator core is this way. I'm the one with the high-tech sensors, remember?"

"And I helped build this place." Bumblebee snapped. Cyborg leaned back and smirked, "You must be so proud." He answered, his tone patronizing.

Bumblebee felt every nerve prickle angrily as she got up in his face, her wings fluttering madly. "Hey, I was tracking Blood before you even knew who he was. So I call the shots, got it?" She snapped.

"No. Because it's my tech, my mission and without me you'd have no clue how to shut this thing down." He replied, storming off, heading towards the resonator.

The next words Bumblebee spoke made him hit the brakes. "Actually, I'd just boost the wavelength in the transmission matrix triggering an overload in the amplification system." Her ease and knowledge of his technology stunned him.

"I never told anyone about that glitch." Cyborg said, whirling around to see her striding forward a smile on her face, a familiar blue disk in hand.

"I lifted your blueprints from the HIVE mainframe so Blood can't ever use them again." She stated.

Cyborg lunged forward, "Give me those!"

Bumblebee held them out of reach. "Uh-uh, you go down I might need this to complete the mission."

"Please, those aren't just blueprints. They're me. Everything I am, my body, my brain, my feelings." He said his voice showing exactly how desperate he was to get them back. How deeply he was hurt. Bumblebee could see this, but there was only so much she could offer.

"Relax, I only read the sonic canon stuff…and a few memory files about that big crush you had on Jinx." She replied, and Cyborg could tell she was getting him back for earlier. He was about to retaliate when his communicator beeped and Robin's voice came through.

"Cyborg, we're approaching Blood's control room. Have you reached the resonator core?"

"Uh, almost."

"Well get moving, we don't have much time."

Robin ended the transmission and Cyborg turned to see Bumblebee giving him a smug look. Cyborg started walking, getting all of five steps when she voiced the unwanted question.

"So if this is your mission, why is he in charge?"

Bumblebee could swear she heard the gears grinding together in Cyborg's neck as he turned to look at her. With rusty movements, he raised his fist and slammed it into the nearby control panel and a heavy metal door dropped down in front of her.

Cyborg could still hear her as he moved down the hall, banging on the frame yelling at him to open it.

* * *

><p>Danny collided with the far wall and tasted blood in the back of his throat. Two sharp clawed fingers were aimed at his throat and he dropped down using the hilt of his sword, Danny slammed it into Blood's unprotected stomach. But as Danny tried to get away, moving towards where Valarie stood, her hands gripping her head as she fought off the last vestiges of Blood's influence. A hand grabbed him by his hair and forced his neck to bend. Letting out a pained scream, Danny dropped his sword to try and stop the man from snapping his neck. Instead he met two steel eyes and found himself gasping for air as red energy electrocuted him.<p>

"Danny!" Valarie screamed, her dark hair whipping around her as she pulled out her plasma gun and aimed it at Bloods heart. The man sighed.

"Daniel, Valarie, do you really think you can defeat me?" He asked pulling on the crow black locks harder, forcing Danny to arch his spine lest his neck break as his knees hit the ground.

"Let him go." Valarie ordered, her voice confident and a threat. Her red suit the color of blood and vengeance.

Brother Blood only hummed to himself and looked down at Danny once more the smile he gave was parental and chilling.

"Tell me, Daniel. What will become of you when I remove this device?" He asked, stroking Danny's cheek, claws drawing beads of blood before settling on the silver device behind his left ear.

"_Don't." _

Blood gave a vicious smirk and pulled it off, needing more force than he thought, as if the device were embedded in the teens skin, taking with it the stability of Danny's form as he gave out a cry of calling.

* * *

><p>Robin, Starfire, Raven and Phantom were trapped in the control room. Ocean water pouring in from the windows where the bomb had gone off. Robin's communicator went off and he looked down to see a panicked Aqualad.<p>

"Robin, we need your help. We've walked into a trap."

"On our way. Phantom phase us out of the room we'll have…" But before he could finish the three Titans watched as energy unlike any they'd seen before encompassed him. Phantom arching in the air, his glowing green eyes swirling in light. He looked at Robin with panic.

"I can't. I can hear myself calling." And with this, he took off through the doors leaving behind one empathic device. Robin picked it up and felt his heart fill with dread.

"Robin, what…" Raven started but he shook his head.

"It doesn't matter right now. Starfire start pulling panels from the wall, we'll need them to repair the damage." Robin ordered.

* * *

><p>Brother Blood reeled back in shock as ethereal energy surged around the teen. Making Danny's eyes appear otherworldly, wind whipping around him, charging the air with the taste of something hallow. It left a searing taste in the back of his throat and next to him he heard the Red Huntress give a startled sound.<p>

Then from down the hall Blood watched as Phantom appeared, the same energy moving through him, flowing in veins that rang loudly like the sound of bells in the emptiness. In awe he watched as the two drew together, one of life and one of death, and then Phantom became a part of Danny and silver threadlike light morphed into two blinding iridescent blue rings and Danny Fenton stood before them as Danny Phantom.

Two glowing green eyes pierced through every dark corner of his soul and Brother Blood was throwing down a smoke bomb even before he realized it. As he raced down the corridors towards the resonator he tried to find a way to explain what that child was. For Danny felt of nothing yet of everything. Of harrowing screams and hallowed songs. And it was in that moment that he wished to know the secrets that lived in those bones. Striding forward he entered the room to see Cyborg screaming into his communicator.

"Yo, Robin. Aqualad and Beastboy blew it, the shield is still up."

Blood gasped in shock, for the energy that surrounded Cyborg, swirling in harmony with the technology, though only alive, reminded him of that power. He grinned and felt his control return. For he would know those secrets. Even if he had to pry them from the very core of Cyborg's soul.

* * *

><p>When Danny: not as Danny Fenton nor Danny Phantom, opened his eyes, it was to see Valarie standing wholly before him. Her gun slipping through fingers to clatter uselessly to the ground.<p>

Golden eyes wide. Both seeing and unseeing. Danny felt his heart knot up and his mind awash of pain. Shakily, one white-booted foot took a step forward an inhuman whine escaping his mouth as he came to stand directly in front of her.

"Valarie."

He felt something inside him break as Valarie suddenly sucked in a breath and took a step back and he felt ill as her entire aura rebelled against him in powerful waves of sunlight.

She only said one word. "No."

And for a long time neither of them moved. When the explosion resounded throughout the school it jarred them both and Danny flipped open his communicator numbly in answering Robins call.

"Aqualad and Beastboy?" Danny asked vaguely remembering the distress the two had been in.

"Safe. They shorted out the force field. Did you manage to get a tracker on Blood?" Robin asked. Not looking away from Valarie, Danny answered. "Yes."

"Good. We're coming to you." He said before ending the transmission.

"Alright." Danny breathed, his voice breaking. Valarie took a step forward. Then her lips met his solidly in a kiss that was teeth and desperation and loss. Not knowing what to do, Danny simply kissed her back and when Valarie pulled away it was with stinging tears in her eyes and poison in her mouth, "You kiss as you always have."

* * *

><p>Cyborg felt nothing but pain when Brother Blood stabbed him through his chest plate. Exposing delicate wires and breaking the flow of his circuits so that the energy had nowhere to travel to. He stumbled back feeling like he was bleeding out.<p>

"How did you do that?"

"I read your blueprints, remember?" Blood said, before he grabbed Cyborg, and twisting one arm behind his back, he slammed the teens head into the force field. The Titan screamed when he felt foreign energy surge through him. His body rebelling against it like antibodies attacking a virus. When the shield failed and both stumbled towards the sonic resonator.

"Impossible." Blood exclaimed.

Standing on trembling legs, Cyborg glared. "Looks like my mission still has a shot at success."

"Now how could your mission still have a shot at success when you don't stand a chance?" Blood yelled, red telekinetic energy striking Cyborg the dead center of his processor. He screamed as white spots danced across his vision.

Bumblebee hit Blood as hard as she could, sending the man into the far wall before turning to look at Cyborg. The Titan gladly taking her hand to help him up.

"_I'll take Blood, you disable the core."_

"_You take Blood, I'll disable the core."_

Brother Blood regained his footing and let out a frustrated curse, "Another spy? Tell me, was anyone at my school actually there to learn?!" He exclaimed.

Bumblebee took up a fighting stance and grinned, "I learned plenty."

As the two took to the sky, Cyborg located a control port and inserted his right arm, mumbling to himself as he synced to the massive weapon. His mind counting down the seconds until the massive tidal wave heading for Jump City would reach it.

"Alright, now just locate the transmission matrix, pump up the wavelength and…" The machine sparked and it sent out a massive impulse before beginning to fall apart. The second rolling wave crashing into the first right before it reached Titans Tower.

"That's two headquarters you owe me." Blood growled before disappearing down the hall. Bumblebee and Cyborg racing after him.

They rounded the corner only to see the Titans, Danny and Valarie round the corner. Water flooding in all around. Soon the entire place would cave from the pressure.

"We need to get out of here." Robin said turning to look at Phantom, "Danny can you teleport us out?" He asked.

To this, the halfa shook his head. "No. There's too many of us."

Beastboy opened his mouth and grinned. "Hello?"

Raven groaned, "I'd rather stay here and drown." But when the school gave a final tremble, complied and all of them emerged on the shore of Titans Tower courtesy of the green whale taxi service.

* * *

><p>It was sunset, the Titans all surrounding Robin as he worked at the computer screen. Valarie had disappeared the second they'd hit land and Danny hadn't chosen to follow her.<p>

"Our last tracking info shows our target heading east."

"We'll go after him, your city needs you." Aqualad stated.

"No. We'll help." Robin said, shaking his head and turning to face the group. "We'll fan out and…"

"Really?" Cyborg cut in, his voice laced with sarcasm, "You mean you'll actually let us help? Not just send in Danny as your all-purpose mechanic to make sure everything stays clean?" He snapped.

Everyone was quieter than the grave. Robin having paled considerably and Danny looking as if Cyborg had just mortally wounded him. Bumblebee and Aqualad shifted uncomfortably.

"We'll just…wait out in the hall." She said, taking Aqualad by the arm and dragging him out. None of the Titans really paying attention, to focused on the silent argument going on between Robin and Cyborg. Starfire was the first one to speak, her voice carefully controlled as she stood up and strode over to Danny's side placing a calming hand on his hovering shoulder. Her grip was firm.

"Please, what do you mean by mechanic?"

This time Cyborg flinched but his resolve didn't waver. "I mean," He ground out, "How Robin sent Danny on an undercover mission for an extra six months and didn't tell us."

"You didn't answer her question." Danny snapped, speaking for the first time, his eyes blazing icy and in warning.

This time, it was Beastboy who had to play the peace maker and get between Cyborg and Phantom. Raven going to stand next to Robin who still hadn't moved. Cyborg whirled around to look at Danny, his form radiating accusation.

"Well weren't you? Because I get the feeling that if Aqualad hadn't attacked the school you'd still be down there being Brother Blood's loyal pet."

All the windows of Titans Tower cracked with sharp clarity and only Starfire's hand held Phantom back, his eyes completely green. Cyborg took a step back in instinctual fear. The air becoming frigid.

"Should I even say what I've done? Or simply confess the crimes of an assassin and let you decide to wash my hands of blood in absolution?" Danny said, ice frosting over him and Starfire like teardrops. But the power echoing from his vocal cords told of damnation. The same time acting like tiny shards of glass and never in any of the Titans memories had they seen Danny act so much like a ghost. Each word tearing through Cyborg with jagged accuracy.

"Stop!" Robin ordered, coming forward for the first time and causing Danny to gasp as the teens energy swirled around them all in tidal waves. Placing himself in the center of the room, their leader looked first to Danny and spoke.

"Calm down and think, Danny. You know why Cyborg is acting the way he is so don't act so upset. We have been deceiving everybody and they deserve to know why." He reprimanded. Knowing his words struck home when Danny looked like he'd been slapped in the face. Then Robin looked to Cyborg and glared.

"And you, back off. Don't act like you have the final say in how I choose to lead this team and deal with criminals like Brother Blood. Because believe it or not, there are worse men out there. So before you start accusing your friends how about you start asking the right questions." Robin said, his words hard and with such finality, Cyborg didn't dare go against him. Not when he could see the guilt in the way Robin set his shoulders.

Taking a breath, Cyborg forced himself to feel the air enter his lungs. "Fine. What has been going on for the last eleven months that needed so much secrecy?" He asked.

"This." Danny stated, pulling out a second flash drive and handing it over to Robin who took it silently and stored it in his black wrist gauntlet.

"Danny has been gathering information from Blood's account books, benefactors and financial transactions and other things that weren't stored in any databases but on honest to god paper. He gained Blood's trust by becoming his assistant and apprentice. Going to the dealings and stealing information from us and the Justice League to give to Fixit for editing before handing it over to them. That way we knew what Blood was taking and could prepare ourselves without overtly letting the criminals know we knew. All so we could get into order the first steps towards the end game." Robin explained.

Raven tilted her head to the side curiously, "Which is?" She asked.

Robin merely shook his head, "You'll find out soon enough. But know this, the only reason I didn't tell any of you was because if I did, I would have jeopardized Danny's cover."

"How?" Cyborg snapped having a hard time accepting all of this knowing that Danny could have taken Blood down at any time.

Danny sighed and took a step forward, running a hand through his snow white hair.

"Because I needed to be able to lie while simultaneously telling the truth to Blood. To do that I had to make it look like I was playing the Titans by allying myself with only one: Phantom. After Robin gave me the mission we never spoke of it, or if we did, it was in half-truths I could weave into a truth later on."

"I'm sorry we kept you in the dark but know it was necessary." Robin emphasized.

Beastboy let out a low whine in his throat. "We know, man. That's all you're telling us. But this all feels a little too familiar." He said and Robin stiffened at the implications. Images of Slade and Beastboy yelling and the Titans leader shuddered.

"I know." He whispered.

The alarm blared red and the doors opened as Bumblebee and Aqualad stormed in.

"Brother Blood?" Aqualad asked, thankfully neither of them commenting on the glass.

Robin shook his head, "Dr. Light found a bank vault." He said pulling up the security camera before it was struck with refracted light.

"I'll go after Blood. If anything goes wrong, I'll know who to call." The Atlantian said holding up his communicator. Bumblebee put one hand on her hips and smiled. "Actually, if he runs into trouble, I'll be there to bail him out." She stated confidently. As the Titans left the room all but Cyborg remained, Bumblebee gave him a look, "You wanna come with? After all, it's your mission too."

Cyborg looked down at his hands and too the fractured glass. His reflection in the mirror and he steeled his resolve. It was time to ask the right questions.

"My mission is here." He stated.

Bumblebee gave him a questioning look, like she didn't quite believe him but didn't question it as she turned and headed out the same door Aqualad had exited. She paused however at the door frame.

"By the way, I think this belongs to you, Sparky." She said fondly, tossing him the blue disk. Giving back all of who he was. Cyborg caught it on reflex and examined it as Bumblebee disappeared.

Robin entered from the west entrance and stood tall, "Cyborg, time to go." He ordered before taking off.

Cyborg looked to the ocean, "Yeah, it just might be." He said. As he met up with the team, it was to find Danny hovering by his car. Glowing green eyes now calm as an oncoming storm met his.

"I'm sorry." Was all the halfa said, handing him back the two empathic devices before flying out the massive double doors.

* * *

><p>There were things in live Vlad Masters loved: well managed stocks, having one Daniel J. Fenton as his legal son, and sleeping in his grand king sized bed with a picture of Maddie under his pillow. Waking up to the entire police force of Wisconsin and every news broadcaster in the United States, was not one of them.<p>

As the men slapped on the handcuffs, Vlad briefly entertained the idea of ripping out their throats, but refrained, humorously going along with it even as he learned of the charges. And he must admit they were quite put together. Obviously, he'd be paying a visit to the Headmaster and using the man's blood as finger paint. He was even calculating how to make Daniel suffer for these actions when the doors to his prison cell slammed closed and Vlad realized he couldn't phase out.

"What is the meaning of this?" Vlad exclaimed now fully awake. Being woken up at five in the morning without his daily imported espresso tended to drag one's senses down. Striding forward in the upper class cell, the harsh lights limiting sight, Vlad growled when no one answered but the shadows moved.

"It's amazing the precautions the government will take when they think freedom is being threatened." Danny commented ideally, stepping forward, his ice blue eyes level with Vlad's own slate grey ones.

Vlad took one look at his ghost child and laughed. "True, Daniel. But they rarely manage to protect against the right things now don't they?" He corrected.

Danny trailed his fingers along the bars and over air, the shield glistening when touched. Showing it to be present even when unseen. Truly a masterful prison.

"This time they had a little help. It turns out the Fenton Ghost Shield can keep out more than simply ghosts." He replied.

"Oh, really? Then am I to assume the rest of the walls are interlaced with the material?" Vlad asked, crossing his arms in a show of power. His pajamas not hiding the broad shoulder physic of Plasmius. Not even the police argued when Vlad refused the standard jump suit orange.

Danny merely gazed at Vlad with an unreadable expression, his aura exuding power yet gave nothing away to his inner feelings. This was an uncalculated occurrence. For Vlad had always been able to see the younger ghosts' core. Now it was shrouded in voidless light.

"You won't be getting out. And you shouldn't expect anything when you're due to appear in court for your crimes." The halfa stated.

"Such a righteous tone." Vlad observed, softly patronizing the teen, watching as Daniel began to bristle. Vlad sighed and softened his tone, "So the Black Queen uses herself to lure others into her trap? A demise by a false sacrifice devoured by the fool. And what a fool I've been." Vlad reminisced, splaying his hand across the shield. Covering Daniel's eyes.

"To miss how quickly you've grown up."

The teen's lips thinned and Vlad smirked, removing his hand to meet those defiant eyes. Unsurety beginning to cloud them. Good.

"Did you really think I'd let you go, my dear boy? That I'd let you live in Jump City for three years simply because you asked it? When we both know you belong by my side." He hissed, his voice a soft melody of bleak truth.

A soft flicker of betrayal flitted through those pale eyes. Still such innocence, Vlad thought. Danny glared. "No. I didn't. But also know you'll never control me. No matter what axe you hang over others heads."

"My dear boy, are you sure your friends are under the weapon, and not in fact a guillotine suspended over you? Are they truly your friends?"

This time when Danny stepped forward his eyes were blazing green. _"Shut up." _

Vlad merely gave a malicious grin of happy secrets and knowing lies.

Danny turned and headed for the door, his hand was on the handle when Vlad stopped him.

"Oh, and Daniel, your nineteenth birthday is fast approaching is it not? How far away is it? I'm afraid my dates are a little fuzzy since someone had the audacity to pull me from bed to early." He asked.

"It's in four months." Danny answered the confusion plain in his voice. Vlad victoriously laughed, showing brilliant white teeth under florescent lights.

"Then due try to be careful of deceit. Much can happen when the powers ask you to travel to other islands to defend them."

Vlad watched as Daniel left, then he serenely went to go lie down on the narrow, wire coiled prison bed and peacefully he slept.

* * *

><p>Danny strode down the prison hall without even hearing the sneers, catcalls, and death threats. No, he could only focus on Vlad and on his words: lies and riddles and chess. That's all the man loved to do. And he used everything to further his own gain and corrupt all Danny held dear.<p>

Stepping out in the prison courtyard, the halfa took a shuddering gasp for air and let the cool mist wash away the tainted miasma that had become trapped inside his lungs. Looking up to the blurred moon Danny sagged against the cement walls.

"Honest Iago." Danny spoke, his vison blurring at the seams.

"I take it then the conversation went well." Robin asked dropping down beside him, black cape engulfing his form.

Danny shook his head, "This fellow's of exceeding honesty/And knows all qualities with a learned spirit/Of human dealings." Danny said, his tired eyes briefly looking to Robin before sliding back to gaze up at the moon. "It was what Othello judged Iago to be before the Moor's world was consumed in black jealousy and tragedy. All due to one man and a handful carefully asked questions."

"I certainly hope you aren't implying you're Othello." Robin said trying to lighten the mood. To this, Danny stayed silently for a moment before he shook his head and softly smiled to his friend.

"No. For one thing I'm not a Moor."

Robin snorted. "You'd certainly have given Michael Jackson a run for his money if you'd had been."

When Danny laughed it was carefree and pure.

"Thanks, I needed that." Danny said when he could.

Robin relaxed before turning solemn once more. "You know that this won't stop Vlad permanently and they won't be able to pin anything on Luthor." He pointed out.

Beside him, Danny stiffened, his crow black hair concealing his eyes. "I know, but it's a start."

At this the two headed home. Back to California, to Jump City and to their home at Titans Tower.

* * *

><p>'<em>And in other news, early this morning Vlad Masters the founder and controlling owner in DALV Industries was arrested on allegations of financing a school called the HIVE Academy. Where the Headmaster, Brother Blood was shown to use mind control and coercion to force students into criminality. Recorded conversations between these two men are said to reveal detailed plans and Masters knowledge at what was conspiring at the school. The board of DALV Industries has yet to issue a statement. <em>

_Financial records and other benefactors such as Lex Luthor of LuthorCorp, Genevieve Teague of Teague Industries are also under investigation for the possibilities of hiring out students to steal information from FoxTech owned by Lucius Fox and other companies such as Wayne Enterprises.'_

Cyborg, Starfire, Beastboy and Raven all sat on the couch in stunned silence, the changeling turning of the TV before letting out a low whistle.

"Dude, when Robin said there were worse people out there and that he was using Danny to go after them…he meant it."

"Then, it was a good thing that they did not tell us?" Starfire asked her forest green eyes still confused and slightly hurt. But more than anything, understanding filled them as if this kind of deception and politics were natural. Cyborg then had to remind himself that Starfire was technically a princess.

"It appears so." He admitted though the anger at what Danny had done still burned in him. The fractured allegiance he felt for Robin a lead weight in the back of his mind. The doors slid open and the team looked up to see both human teens walk through the living room doors. Danny gave them a brief nod before disappearing down the far hallway that led to their rooms as Robin turned towards the kitchen.

Raven suddenly stood up and quietly followed after Danny. She caught up to him right before he disappeared into his room. Slowing down, the Titan took her time observing how haggard the halfa looked. The muscles in his back and shoulders drawn taught in stress and his crow black hair seemed dull and lifeless.

"Yeah, Rae?" Danny asked softly, not even turning around, startling Raven for she hadn't thought he knew she was here.

"I want to make sure you're okay." She stated placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him around. Those ice blue eyes firmly on the dull carpet.

"I'm okay. Thanks for checking." Danny said, still not looking at her.

Raven felt her heart constrict and gently she took his face in her hands, tracing the exhausted lines under his eyes.

"Danny, you can talk. I'll listen."

Broken open blue eyes met hers then, and Raven had to fight to keep her emotions contained. Then Danny was pushing her away his expression unreadable.

"I know I can, Raven. But I just…can't. Not yet. I don't know how much Cyborg explained to you about what the empathic devices do to me so just…please understand, I don't know who I am anymore. I feel so fractured." Danny admitted. Every truth tearing him apart and even speaking this much about it made Danny what to howl. To bury himself inside Raven's opal heart and never ever leave. To let Valarie's golden aura that scorched hotter than the sun control him completely. To find out what that silver thread was inside the tree, and let it sap all his strength until he faded from existence as its silver meaning became truth. To be a ghost. To be a human.

Danny no longer knew. And Raven only stood there, letting Danny hold onto her with trembling hands, ice blue eyes looking like melted water. With slow motions, Raven leaned up and placed a kiss on his forehead. Pulling away to meet startled blue eyes and red dusting Danny's cheeks.

"Alright." She breathed shakily, stepping away and disappearing down the corridor.

* * *

><p>Once Danny couldn't feel the soft starlit glow of her aura, he entered his room. The sunrise coloring everything in beautiful hues of dusty purple and warm reds, the sparkling waters shimmering like drops of diamonds. His soft white bedroom seeming to take hold of all the colors instead of repelling them. Looking around, Danny could see his unmade bed, the light green sheets rumpled from weeks of disuse. Papers and sketches lined the lowset bamboo desk at the center of the room. In the corner of the room the light brown cabinet sat filled to the brim with different colors of wall paint. A gift his friends had given him when he'd moved into the Tower.<p>

The blue waters of the ocean were turning continuously in the background. Sunlight streaming in. Standing on the carpet, feeling tired to his very core but unable to remember how to truly sleep, Danny felt something hot and desperate swell up in his chest. Not looking behind him to the glass window, the human knew what his aura looked like. Green energy filled one hand and soon paint cans were flying towards his fingertips, the lids popping open as the jars swirled languidly in the air to mix the colors.

He smeared his palms with paint and soon the colors covered the one wall parallel to the glass view. Cathartic strokes of colors that articulated the in-articulable. And elegant swirls encapturing movement that followed a dance steadily filling the white space as the paint continued to drip down Danny's forearms and onto his clothes and the pristine carpet.

And Danny didn't stop until his eyes grew weary and his heart thumped slowly as the warm chill of his ice core settled over it. Finally, when the painting was finished, the halfa let sleep fall into him and dreams renew him.

That was how Beastboy found Danny, passed out on his giant bed, empty and half-empty paint cans scattered alongside the far wall. All of the windows open to let in the melody of seagulls and the spray of the water as the salty air cleansed the room. Silently, the changeling moved about, disposing of the trash and recapping the paint tins that could still be used. And when the changeling decided to sit down and enjoy the silence, he didn't face the sea. But the still drying mural on the wall. It seemed, Beastboy thought, that all Danny had needed to make himself complete, was solitude.

_Only you can heal yourself…_

"_But having those to help _

_Gives meaning _

_To what you're trying to be."_

_~Myself_

* * *

><p>AN: While this chapter was important in the drafts, it certainly wasn't this important! Jeez, it was a monster to write. Anyways, here's a few side notes to this chapter.<p>

The reason Aqualad wasn't suspicious when Robin brought up the layout of the school was because he barely had time to actually go over the files that Bumblebee gave him.

Fun facts about trees, only one percent of it is alive, the bark is mostly dead.

Now, I'm not an expert at chess, I only know the basic rules like the Queen is the most important piece and what Vlad mentions is a tactic known as the Fool's Mate where the player is checkmated in the fewest possible moves. However, Vlad never says he's lost, only that he was playing the fool. Alluding to how much Danny has grown to think like him.

Othello is one of Shakespear's greatest tragedies. It is also the only play where Shakespeare introduces the villain, Iago, first. From the start, the audience knows that Iago is psychotic and out to destroy Othello the General of the Venician Army. Othello, we may note is not from Venice but actually a Moor from Africa. Presenting an interesting dynamic as Iago defeats Othello not on the battlefield but by manipulating Othello against his wife Desdemona. This all takes place not in Venice but on the island Cyprus who pleaded to the senators of Venice for the aid of Othello as they were about to be attacked by the Turks. When Vlad speaks telling Danny to be wary it is because he was saying he was the council, the Tower was the island and that Danny was Othello. That's the barest bones to Othello...it would take me hours to discuss it properly.

Plus, there's a lot more going on in this story but I don't feel like giving it away just yet.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and if anyone has questions feel free to drop me a private message or review.

Also, if you any thoughts on what you want to see in the next chapter let me know!

Read and Review.

~Rin

Coming up: The Being Inside Us All


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